


I'd Love

by gracegonsales



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Choni Angst, Choni endgame, Choni fluff, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, Love Triangles, Mild Veryl/ Cheronica, Riverdale, Slow Burn, Smut, choni, choni smut, f/f - Freeform, not even sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-06-25 19:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 77,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15647328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracegonsales/pseuds/gracegonsales
Summary: Angsty and love-triangly. In which Archie is obsessed with Veronica, who is obsessed with Cheryl, who is obsessed with Toni, who is obsessed over by Jughead, who is obsessed over by Betty.OrCheryl and Toni meet at a party and hook up; Veronica and Cheryl have a thing, but Bombshell ends up choosing love over money.





	1. It Wouldn't Be The Last

**Author's Note:**

> Just casually establishing that Archie is clearly obsessed with Veronica who could care less because she's secretly pining for a certain Bombshell of her own. Contains v mild Cheronica. Choni shippers, don't fret, we're just creating a big angsty backstory for their inevitable slow burn.
> 
> First fic, go easy on me? Tell me to leave poor Choni alone, or tell me to make their faces go *smush*

The fresh note of a guitar strum floated through the crisp air during their lunch hour as Betty tried to get Jughead's attention, who was scowling in the opposite direction at his best friend. He was trying to signal to Archie to take his side in their conversation, but lacked what it took to tear his attention away from his obsession. Bughead had both long finished their lunches and were well into a deep debate on whatever conspiracy they had been digging into this week when the blonde had groaned at the lack of dialog flowing back in her direction.

"Archie!" Both Jughead and Betty snapped at the same time.

The chiseled jaw had turned back in the pairs' direction, although he was still having an extravagantly difficult time peeling his eyes off of Veronica Lodge. Her hand was loosely wrapped around a different redhead's wrist with her head tipped back in a laugh. She was obviously very beautiful, but something about how free and comfortable she looked as she laughed with Cheryl Blossom was striking Archie in a whole new way. She looked _happy_.

She had been the focus of Archie's immediate attention literally any time she was within viewing, or listening distance. He set eyes on her for the first time the day the Lodge's had come into town and she had been on his mind every day since. It had been nearly six months since their family had arrived from New York and Archie's obsession had only grown more, thanks to Betty, since she had been integrated into their inner circle of friends. He'd spent plenty of time making Veronica laugh and he'd spent even more memorizing her laugh while he watched her laugh with Betty or Kevin. But even then, she wasn't always as carefree and light as she was while standing next to the Vixen and it made Archie wonder what had sparked the change in the girl of his affections.

When Archie finally plucked his gaze from the brunette, Jughead met him with a half confused, half disgusted look. "Dude, you've been staring at her for like fifteen minutes. It's getting kinda creepy."

"I didn't know she was, like -- friends with Cheryl," was all he replied as his eyes swept back in her direction, earning another eye roll from both Betty and Jug.

Betty spoke up this time, her eyes darting towards Jughead. "Well obviously _both_ of you are clueless,"she scoffed as she pushed up out of her seat and abandoned their conversation altogether before heading towards the girls standing across the courtyard.

When she reached them, the boys had observed the blonde joining in on the laughter before she nodded back in their direction. Cheryl had peeked to one side of Betty and Veronica around the other to view what the blonde had been nodding towards, Cheryl tossing her hair over her shoulder with an almost icy expression and Veronica scrunching her eyebrows together briefly in confusion as she offered a half-hearted wave towards them.

"Ugh, Betty," the Serpent griped.

She knew how immediate the repercussions of whatever words she'd exchanged with Cheryl and Veronica would affect Archie and merely by association, him. The blonde was trying to get to Jughead Jones, even if she had to make a play at Archie to get his attention. And like clockwork, as if Jughead's thoughts were narrating the very arch in this scene, Archie's face had been skewed up in an atrocious mix of confusion and embarrassment.

"What do you think she said to her? Was that a good wave or a bad one?"

Jughead, clearly annoyed yet again, snatched his messenger bag off of the table in a more violent manner than necessary and started to stomp off, Archie still rattling off inquisitions at Jug's back about what it all meant.

But what did it mean? When she looked at him, why didn't she look like that? _Happy_.

 

* * *

 

Although Veronica was more than content to have been fast friends with Betty, and by association Archie and through extension also Jughead, they hadn't really ever quenched her thirst for a big, vibrant personality like the ones she had constantly been surrounded by in New York. She'd had no problem joining the Riverdale Vixens in her never-ending quest for a little spice in this small town. Cheryl Blossom, the only one coming close to giving her a run for her money, literally and figuratively, had piqued Veronica's interest immediately. There was something so magnetic about Cheryl for the brunette, but no matter how V angled for some semblance of a relationship with the Blossom, it usually ended in a less than savory battle of wits gone wrong. Veronica and Cheryl, for obvious reasons, hadn't gotten along as smoothly as she had with the others which had disappointingly kept a wall up between the two battling HBIC's. Veronica could stare longingly at the redhead all she wanted, but it seemed that she'd never be able to push and break through Cheryl Blossom's ego, or pride for that matter.

Until she _did_.

What was initially sparked by a heated debate on how a particular Vixen routine should have highlighted certain talents of certain dancers, ended cooling under the stream of the locker room showers well after the water had run out of warmth. Narrowed eyes and sharp tongues had eventually turned into a shove to Veronica's shoulder and a misguided return shove, brushing Cheryl Blossom's very own bosom. The gasp that followed was shocking to them both, the realization that it was guttural in the form of lust rather than anger. The heat of anger instantly evolved into the fire of passion, Cheryl's back crashing against a locker door for an entirely new reason. Narrowed eyes became closed eyes, sharp tongues became soft tongues and when they had finally broken apart to analyze when the hell they had gotten themselves into their current position, standing under a cold stream of the shower head, both still in their Vixen's practice uniforms, they knew they were in way over their heads.

For about a week, both Veronica and Cheryl had absolutely refused to acknowledge what had happened in that locker room. They had barely addressed each other at all until Betty had snapped one day and told them in front of the entire squad to 'Kiss and Make-up already' because it was growing tiresome dealing with two ice queens at once. Veronica was the first to suck up her pride and admit that Betty was right and she had hung back to help Cheryl stow their pompoms. Once the rest of the squad had cleared the gymnasium, the brunette stood in silence until she realized Cheryl wasn't going to buck up and say anything at all.

"Look, Cheryl, we have to talk about this. We don't have to make it weird, you know. What happened happened, but we still have to be on this squad together-- We're still friends.."

The redhead had decided to look up in that moment, a flash of something unrecognizable to Veronica was in her eyes, but she remained silent still. Veronica had studied the oh so subtle downward curve of Cheryl's lips and determined that it was vulnerability in Cheryl's eyes just then. She used that moment to reach out and sweep a few strands of hair out of Cheryl's face and tuck them gently behind her ear. She waited patiently for the Vixen to look her in the eyes and finally break their silence.

"Do you really mean that?"

Cheryl's voice, for the first time in Veronica's experience, was just as soft as the lips that were pressed against hers only one week prior. The brunettes eyes flicked down to them, painted bright cherry red in true Cheryl fashion. She had to resist the urge to kiss them again, opting to run her tongue over her own bottom lip and nibbling into it instead.

_God, could Cheryl be the most beautiful thing in the world when she let her walls down._

Veronica took a step closer to the other Vixen, taking one of her hands in her own. "Of course I mean that, Cheryl."

She knew exactly what Cheryl was referring to. There was an unspoken understanding that the Blossom family had their struggles creating relationships outside of their own blood. And even further, to examine the example of what those relationships looked like at home had to have really affected Cheryl's ability to connect with others in any meaningful way. Everyone had their serving of family drama, but growing up in that family had clearly been so destructive to both the Blossom twins, deceased or not.

"I know by nature we're supposed to butt heads, but I really do consider you a true friend. And to be honest, kissing you did anything but lead me toward any other conclusion. It made me want to be closer to you, I just didn't know if that's also what you wanted.."

As Veronica's words trailed off, Cheryl found her eyes starting to dampen at the other girl's confession. It had frightened Cheryl to her core what kind of repercussions and rumors would circulate after their surprise meeting, that fateful day in the locker room, essentially driving not only Veronica away, but those who would hear about how _deviant_ her behavior had been.

Cheryl blinked the tears from her eyes, not bothering to wipe them away and offered a weak smile and nod. In that moment, Veronica could completely read Cheryl's soul, causing her heart to absolutely melt for the HBIC. She reached up to run the pad of her thumb across the smoothest skin she'd ever felt, wiping away the tears from the redhead's cheek. They had both felt it in that simple touch; the magnetic pull towards each other. Whether it were weakness or the recognition of power in one another, it was undeniable. Cheryl's brown eyes tracked Veronica's as they inched closer still, feeling the whisper more than hearing it.

"I'm going to kiss you again.."

And as their lips met for the second time, they both knew _it wouldn't be the last_.


	2. Power Plays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're starting to dig in. Intro to Veronica's very real attraction to Cheryl and her power, but then again, in walks Toni, so.. #jealous

It had been going on for a few months now, the secret rendezvous' of Vixen hierarchy when Cheryl had decided to host a soirée at Thistlehouse to grieve the crumble of Southside High and celebrate their last weekend as the elite and segregated Northside. There had been quite the buzz in the inner circle when Jughead was banished off to Southside High to socialize and study with those miscreants on the other side of the tracks. But little could any one of them dream that he'd be back sooner than later, with a few pals in close pursuit.

Archie was the first to arrive at Thistlehouse with the rest of the basketball team, kegs in hand like the brute men they were trying to be. He had changed his shirt about four times as if a crewneck versus a v-neck under his letterman's jacket were really going to finally persuade Veronica to see him in a different light. Betty had followed soon after, hair in her signature pony per usual. She chatted with Archie who had handed her a red solo cup before tapping into the first keg and pouring her enough to keep her busy while she anxiously waited for Jughe-- Veronica. 

Okay, so as much crap as she was done putting up with from Archie over Veronica, Betty was harboring a crush like no other on Jughead and she could identify completely with what her childhood best friend was going through. She just wasn't as blatantly obvious about it the way her male counterpart was. Either way, tonight would be the night she would make her move. Or at least make her move to get Jughead to make his move.

* * *

 

The deep bass of music pulsed through her ears as heeled Doc Martins crunched gravel beneath her, leading her towards an extravagant wooden door. How she even thought it was a good idea to let Jughead drag her not only to the Northside, but to _the_ Thistlehouse none-the-less, was beyond Toni. Aside from Jughead, Toni and practically the entirety of the Southside Serpents hadn't had very many positive experiences involving the Northside community, let alone the testosterone driven apes and entitled, spoon-fed vixens of Riverdale High. Tension and drama was almost promised the moment they realized a refugee of the wrong side of the tracks was entering their domain. 

"Jug, I get that we have to start intergrading with them now that Southside High is 'condemned' or whatever," Toni's small fingers dramatically throwing air quotes in for affect, "But I didn't grow up with Archie or get Betty to fall madly in love with me like you did."

The pink haired girl dragged her heels a little heavier, effectively slowing down their pace as she wanted to finish this conversation of doubt before they breached enemy territory. Unfortunately it only earned her a deep sigh of annoyance from the taller Serpent.

"Seriously, Topaz?" Jughead's incredulous look wasn't lost on Toni, even if he did just toss it over his shoulder at her before continuing to march towards the music. "Since when are you such a wuss?"

With that Toni scowled at Jughead's back and swung her heavy boot at his sneakers, clipping him in the heel and causing him to break his stride and stumble back upright, just to reaffirm that demeaning her _sometimes_ soft reputation was unwarranted.

All her friend did in retaliation was roll his eyes, but his tone was softer when he addressed her again. "You don't even care what anyone thinks of you, Toni. Because we both know how amazing you are. I brought you because if anyone is going to be able to show the Northside that we're not all confined to the stigma of being a Southsider, it's you." His goofy grin allowed Toni to relax a little, giving him the opportunity to throw his arm around her shoulders and squeeze before nudging her forward a bit. "Besides, if I were looking for a brawl, I woulda brought just Sweet Pea and Fangs-- They're much tougher than you."

Toni scoffed back to his retort, but it was laced with amusement as they made their final steps to the door. "You're one to talk, noodle arms."

* * *

 

Inside, the scene was already 'oh-so-typical high school party'. Music was blaring, singles were mingling, couples canoodling, red cups were emptying. Midge was already sitting on Moose's lap on the sofa in the den while Kevin gagged and rolled his eyes from across the room. Reggie was roughing Archie up, trying to convince him to do a keg-stand in the nearby kitchen. Josie and her Pussycats were harmonizing and giggling over a throwback that was currently playing. Betty seemed to be anxiously checking the time on her phone every three seconds while she nursed her second beer of the night. It was two hours into the last minute shindig and she was neither drunk, nor occupied-- Wait, where was Veronica anyway?

Unbeknownst to the blonde that the V to her B was _very_ occupied in the shadows of the hallway just off of the foyer, merely right around the corner from where she stood. Veronica had wasted little time occupying one hand around a petite waist and another tangled in the cherry red hair of none other than Queen of Thistlehouse herself. 

" _Umph_ , V," Cheryl grunted.

Veronica had backed Cheryl against yet another wall and as much as the redhead had been enjoying their spur of the moment grope session, Cheryl's curve hugging silk dress was riding up in a less than comfortable fashion. And when Cheryl Blossom was over something, she was over it. Period.

"Can you not smudge my lipstick though?" Cheryl had broken their kiss and nudged Veronica back a step. Veronica rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated huff, but stepped back further none-the-less. 

She was used to Cheryl playing her hot and cold by now. One day the redhead would be all over her, picking up Veronica's usual coffee for her on the way to school, stealing kisses behind closed doors, tracing her fingertips over Veronica's thighs under the table at Pop's, calling her in the middle of the night 'just to talk' about something Betty or Kevin had said during the daylight hours. The next she'd breeze right by her in the halls at school without so much as a glance in her direction. It had been dizzying to try and keep up with Cheryl's moods for Veronica, but as of late, the whiplash of how instantaneous the redhead would turn cold was starting to make Veronica's stomach churn with nerves.

At first, the brunette thought it was just Cheryl making power plays at Veronica, making sure she understood that the bombshell was still in charge; Just keep her in check a little. And although it would have been insulting from anyone else, Veronica had known that the more anyone took the ice queen's words and actions to heart, the more frustrated they would become. Simply because they'd never win. Simply because she'd never change. And simply because Cheryl didn't care. About anyone.

The longer the two had played this game of hide and seek in their new found relationship-- if they could even call it that, the longer Veronica had tried to do anything she could to win the other girl over, but to no avail. The more the Lodge made a desperate grab for Cheryl just to be dismissed, the more Veronica had started to accept the fact that Cheryl really didn't care. Accepting it and getting over it, however, were two completely separate feats.

It was driving the Lodge insane, not being given the reprieve of just being able to kiss Cheryl when she wanted to instead of waiting for the redhead to be 'in the mood' or having the luxury of her phone calls being consistently answered instead of being forwarded to voicemail on 'off days.' Truth be told, on their 'on' days, Cheryl made Veronica feel more present and alive than the brunette had ever felt before. The intense stare in the Blossom's eyes made her feel like she was the only girl in the world. The way her name sounded coming from those lips as Veronica made her come undone in the backseat of Cheryl's car, was so powerful, so _intense_. In those moments, it took everything in Veronica not to just shake Cheryl and make her see. What they had, it was special. It _meant_ something. Their reputations, their money, their power, together, it could be real, not just some fleeting moment succumbing to when Cheryl's attention was suddenly pulled in another direction. 

Veronica could feel something unsettling boiling under her skin as she watched the sway of Cheryl's hips leave her standing cold in the dimly lit hallway yet again. She craved more and tonight would be the night she'd _finally_ bring their power to light.

* * *

 

 

Bodies were bumping into each other left and right to refill their bottomless cups, voices raised over the thumping of the music. Cheryl finally making her appearance for the first time during the night other than to greet everyone, had looped her arm through Archie's and pulled him into the den, plopping him down onto the sofa opposite of Moose and Midge. Jughead had curiously followed from the kitchen in which Toni reluctantly tagged along. Of course Betty had caught wind of the pink haired girl that was loosely linked to every move Jughead made and followed them as well. Veronica hadn't expected Cheryl to disappear so quickly after they had broken apart from each other and decided to slip through the den doors out of curiosity as well, finding the sprinklings of their inner circle draped on the sofas. Reggie burst through the door, hollering after Archie to do another keg-stand, instead clearly intruding on some smaller, more elite meeting of sorts. Before he could even verbally question what was going on, Cheryl silenced them all with her captivating gravitas.

"It's game time at Chez Blossom, cuties. We're going old school tonight -- Seven minutes in heaven. Who wants to tryst in the closet of love first?" 

A few of the members of the elite exchanged quizzical looks, a few eyebrows shot up in surprise or excitement. None of them, however, spoke up.

"Hmm," Cheryl hummed, clearly unimpressed. "I should've guessed you heathens would bow down to presence such as my own." Cheryl pinched an empty bottle between her fingers, letting it swing like a pendulum for a moment on the off chance there would be a rebuttal. When none came, she set the bottle on it side and hummed in superiority yet again. "Let's see who's riding the ginger stallion tonight."

Veronica scoffed just loudly enough to grab the ever perceptive Toni's attention who was sitting two bodies away from her. The look of what seemed like jealously was clearly painted across the brunettes face as Cheryl spun the bottle. 

How Cheryl, who was intensely locked against Veronica's lips just ten minutes ago, could be putting her body up for sale for some school girl game in front of her very eyes was just adding to the venom coursing through Veronica's veins. Had she not been dangerously eager to be the one the bottle ended up pointing at, the New York transplant would have missed the spin completely, glaring at Cheryl who viciously and purposefully kept her smirk and gaze averted from Veronica. Another power play. 

"The new girl," Cheryl's intense stare was locked on Toni as everyone else glanced around to try to gauge each other's reactions. 

Toni kept her head down, shaking it slightly before looking directly at Veronica instead of Cheryl, taking in the heat of anger radiating off of the brunette Northsider. So much for not carrying a stigma of a drama filled Southside integration into the new school and it's pack of wolves. 

"This should be _fun_." Cheryl's tongue lingered on her top teeth, clicking emphasis on the word. Her quirked eyebrow and hungry gaze towards the unknown girl had Veronica literally fuming. She stood up violently and stormed out of the den, leaving a stunned crowd and hushed gossip behind her. She couldn't bear to watch that loveless, greedy, vindictive power play Cheryl was making any longer. 

As the image of Betty's jaw hung slack and murmurs of who the new girl even was faded behind her and were shut out completely by the heavy den door slamming shut, Veronica picked up a bottle of whiskey by it's neck, wringing it as if it were the pink haired girl herself. 

"Fucking _bitch._ "

Veronica herself couldn't figure out in that moment if she meant it about Cheryl or the new girl, but either way, she tipped the bottle and took a long gulp of Johnny Walker Blue straight from the bottle before slamming it back down. If Cheryl Blossom wanted a power play, a power play is what she'd get.


	3. Over and Over Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, if smut isn't your thing, I'd maybe skip the first portion of this chapter. But then, go ahead and resume for more angst and broken hearts. Buckle up. This is gonna be a long one, folks.
> 
> Also, coming to that point where I'm deciding whether or not to continue this for the long haul. Thoughts?

Notwithstanding it being more than uncomfortable being the only one who seemed able to foresee Veronica's temper tantrum happening before the bottle stopped spinning, it wasn't lost on Toni how attractive the host of the evening was in that red, silk dress. She kept her voice null even when Jughead had darted warning signs out of his eyes at her as the redhead approached her in the sexiest saunter Toni had _ever_ seen. She had only heard a snippet about Cheryl Blossom prior to the evening from Jughead, but other than being disgustingly wealthy and hating the Southside, Toni didn't have much to go on. Let alone time to try to decipher how much of an atrocity it would be if she really went through with this as Cheryl made her way towards the sans jacket Serpent. It quickly became apparent in just the way that she moved, that this creature stalking towards her got what she wanted whether anyone liked it or not, and that _body,_ oh, that body wasn't something Toni was going to say no to. So as the sapphic Blossom reached out her hand to take Toni's, the Serpent stood, easily sliding her hand into Cheryl's. She ignored the grunt coming from Jughead's direction, eyes glued to the curves that were leading her away from closely watching eyes.

In spite of the music and sure rumor mill churning below them, it was almost peacefully quiet at the top of the stairs in Thistlehouse, and even a little bit warmer as they approached Cheryl's room. It should have been awkward, the two strangers walking hand in hand in dead silence to go and make-out for the first time, in a room in a freaking mansion, but somehow the sexual tension in just the way their hands were cupped together, infused with the taboo idea of what they were doing spurred the pair further.

Sure, at first Cheryl had less than honorable intentions for luring Veronica into the den to watch her spin the bottle and leave with someone-- anyone other than her at the beginning of this, but as the new girl shut her bedroom door behind them and the redhead finally turned and locked eyes with Toni, she raised an eyebrow with all new interest.

"So, _new girl--_ "

"My name's, _Toni._ " The shorter girl confidently interrupted the redhead with a challenging smirk on her lips. "In case you'll be needing that later."

Before Cheryl could wrap her head around the bold statement, her back had landed with a graceful thud against her mattress. Toni bit her lip at the sight of long, gorgeous locks of fire spread around the glowing Queen of Thistlehouse. Arm propped up against the bed frame, Toni looked down to find desire burning in the eyes of her counterpart, a warmth running up her spine. It only urged her closer to the edge of the bed. Her left knee caused the mattress to dip on Cheryl's side, her right leg swinging over the other girl's body until she was effectively straddling Cheryl entirely.

Unknown to Toni it was uncharacteristic how silent Cheryl was being in this moment, but the redhead's body language was screaming under Toni's weight. Pale hands found purchase on the brunettes hips, locking them into position. The pink haired girl leaned down until her lips were just inches from cherry red, "Seven minutes and you'll _never_ be able to forget my name."

A burst of heat shot through Cheryl's body at the show of power radiating from Toni. With Veronica, a move like that would only push Cheryl to retaliate in order to regain control. But with this girl who'd she'd only known for a few minutes, it was something Cheryl _had_ to succumb to due to _lack_ of control; _lack of power_. It didn't make the Blossom feel as though she needed to calculate an answer or chess move to win. If crashing her lips against Toni's caused her to lose, being powerless for the first time in her life didn't feel like losing at all.

Cheryl's nails dug into Toni's side the closer the smaller girl lowered herself between her hips. Their mouths had fallen into perfect sync with each others, the push and pull of lips and teeth, Cheryl helplessly being washed away in the sensation. Toni's tongue traced Cheryl's plump bottom lip, the redhead not fighting to keep her jaw tight and instead instinctively letting the girl in. She tasted of beer and spice that was something Cheryl had never experienced before. Her hips bucked up into Toni's, creating a groan to grow deep in the darker girl's throat. Toni pushed back harder in response, deepening their kiss, hands traveling into red hair to hold Cheryl still. She tightened her grip on Cheryl's hair and that's just about when the River Vixen lost her mind. Red lips moaned into Toni's, her back arching dangerously off the bed.

She likes having her hair pulled. _Noted_.

Toni was sure they'd been kissing well beyond their seven minutes, but neither of them seemed concerned at all. If the heat growing between their bodies was any indication of where this was heading, it was definitely not back downstairs to the party.

As if Cheryl could practically read her mind, her wandering hands wrapped around Toni's back and slid under shirt, smoothing her palms over the ever heating skin of Toni's body. Before Cheryl could slide up high enough to pull her top off, Toni ground her hips down against Cheryl and bit into the Blossom's neck. It momentarily paused the redhead's movements like electricity shocking Cheryl still, leaving her gasping for air.

Her normally brassbound reputation of being in control was unraveling as quickly as the seconds passed under Toni's movements. Little did Cheryl know that Toni, although enjoying having so much control over the waves of indulgence flowing through the Vixen's body, was a complete mess as well. Her facade of holding onto her composure? It came down to experience, Toni guessed. From what the Serpent understood of the heiress to blood money-- she was an elitist. Which surely meant she was beyond picky with whom she shared her precious time, if she'd ever had any suitors at all. It almost made Toni lose her mind and her dexterous control at the idea of what she was about to do to Cheryl.

"Seven minutes isn't enough to get the taste of you I need," Toni purred a whisper into Cheryl's ear.

Although there was no hesitation in Toni's voice, and it didn't quite seem like it was a question that needed to be answered, Cheryl nodded her consent ferociously. She fisted her hand in Toni's hair and pushed her further into the pale skin of her neck. The delicious way Toni's teeth sunk in, followed by the soothing of a hot tongue against her skin, Cheryl knew she'd have to wear a high collar to school come Monday.

Kissing her way down Cheryl's neck, nipping at her collarbone, Toni smirked at how effortlessly her love bites were staining the porcelain skin. Her hands firm, yet gentle, smoothed down Cheryl's sides, guiding her way down her body. The red silk dress had never been removed but that didn't stop Toni from dragging her lips over Cheryl's most sensitive parts, earning whimpers of gratification as she went. She moved lower still, nipping at Cheryl's hip through the silk until finally grasping at the hem of the dress and roughly bunching it above her hips. The creamy skin of Cheryl's bare thighs incited Toni to swallow a moan as her eyes tracked to their apex. Black lace was all the barrier between Toni and her need to taste more.

The pink haired girl pressed her mouth against the black lace, feeling Cheryl seep onto her lips in an instant. "God, you're so wet," Toni breathed out, eyes rolling back into her head. In an overwhelming act, the Serpent's teeth sunk into Cheryl's skin, scraping away until she clamped down fully with black lace between her teeth. Cheryl could feel the animalistic need within her start to break. She moaned out, twisting her fingers into pink highlighted hair and pushing her hips up for more.

" _Please,_ " She whined helplessly.

Toni heard her cry, tearing Cheryl's intimates down those delicious thighs to leave her bare and open for the Serpent's taking. A part of Toni wanted to take it all in, the beauty of Cheryl's glistening center, but the better part of her needed to feed her hunger. She plunged forward, the flat of her tongue taking in the first lap. If her own panties weren't ruined before, they surely were at the first real taste of Cheryl Blossom. She tasted strong, yet delicate, a hint of something so sweet and unrecognizable. Toni resolved it was uniquely Cheryl and the most intoxicating thing she'd ever had in her seventeen years.

Her steady tongue was persistently soft against Cheryl, taking in all she had to offer. Overwhelmed by where the redhead was transporting her, she wrapped her lips around Cheryl's most sensitive bundle of nerves to ground herself. Cheryl breathed out as if the life were leaving her as Toni took her. Toni's tongue danced there against Cheryl, building her higher. The heiress' hips lifted off the bed into Toni who grunted and used her hands to forcefully push them back down.

  
_"No,_ " she growled. "Don't run."

Cheryl's head pressed back into the mattress, feeling herself teetering on the precipice of the greatest height she'd ever floated to. Toni's efforts doubled, pressing her tongue deeper as if she were trying to meld herself into part of Cheryl. The Blossom couldn't hold it in any longer. The fight she had put up had been valiant, but she was coming to an end, giving herself up completely at the hands of this unknown girl.

With a husky moan, the redhead fell from her high place, crashing into rolling waves of her pleasure. Toni remained consistent in her strokes with her tongue, letting Cheryl ride it out until her knees fell limp against the mattress.

Toni crawled up to look up at the completely spent redhead with a proud smirk on her lips. Cheryl raised an eyebrow, gazing deep into chocolate eyes, simply amazed with how deeply she felt connected to this new unstoppable force before her. Her hand wrapped around the back of Toni's neck, pulling her in gently. Cheryl brought Toni's lips to her own, humming at the taste of herself on the girl's lips.

"Nice to meet you, _Toni._ "

* * *

Toni had expected Cheryl to immediately banish her from the intimate quarters of her own personal space, but as the Northsider adjusted her dress back down her hips, she turned to lay on her side. Cheryl propped her head up on her hand, elbow digging deep into the pillows where they had scooted up further to relocate themselves. There were questions in Cheryl's gaze, Toni could read that for sure, but it wasn't intimidating or threatening as she had once expected it to be. It seemed as if the redhead were genuinely curious about who she was.

Cheryl had asked her a few questions about where Toni learned to do what, well, what she had just done. Toni had chuckled an obliged an answer, telling Cheryl that she'd always known she was attracted to girls and she had never shied away from exploring that side of her from an early age. She'd asked questions in return, questioning if Cheryl had ever been with a girl in that depth before. Cheryl hadn't been as transparent as the Serpent, but she'd casually mentioned a crush she'd had on her best friend in junior high. The lay there, exchanging little tidbits of information, giggling and just enjoying each other's company. The longer they stared into each other's eyes, the clearer it became to the both of them that this was something they could both see happening again, _over and over again_ , albeit neither of them actually saying it out loud. Instead Cheryl offered a small smile in their silence at Toni. Her raw beauty in that moment was enough to squeeze Toni's heart, wanting again just to press her lips against Cheryl's. She leaned in slowly when a bang of the Blossom's bedroom door pulled their attention to the other side of the room.

Veronica scoffed in disgust, her eyes darting at Cheryl before sweeping over to Toni. They were both fully clothed and laying a good foot apart from each other, but her eyes didn't deceive her. Toni was leaning in for a kiss.

Had they merely been laying in bed the whole time talking? Was that the first time they got close to kissing? Was Veronica terribly jealous over Cheryl's antics for nothing?

"What the _fuck_?" Toni's equally disgusted stare shot at Veronica.

"Um, _excuse_ me. Which barbarian raised you to barge into someones private quarters without being granted permission?" Cheryl looked incredulously at the girl.

Toni had smirked at Cheryl, impressed at how quickly she could snap back into her pompous manner. It was unseen by the redhead however, whose glower was transfixed on the intruder.

"Leave. _Now._ "

Veronica knew Cheryl was made up of purely venom, but this was rock bottom, the way she was so dismissive of everything they had been sharing as of late. She quickly turned away to exit the room in frustration, but also to hide the immense pain on her face as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

* * *

 

Downstairs Jughead had anxiously awaited Toni's return with detailed notes of insider trade information on the Blossom family. He had been slightly distracted however by a certain Cooper and had easily lost track of time. That was until a livid Veronica had stormed her way back into the kitchen, picking up her abandoned blue labeled bottle. Betty rapidly moved to place a gentle hand around Veronica's bicep, noticing the glistening tears in the brunette's eyes.

"V," the blonde whispered quietly.

Veronica had merely tightened her jaw and shook her head once, tipping the bottle back again.

"What's going on?" Betty begged.

The Lodge knew she couldn't expose what type of relationship she had been partaking in with Cheryl. As enraged and hurt as she had been watching Cheryl use the checkmate of a power move as she just had, Veronica couldn't bear the thought of doing something as equally disgusting to Cheryl. She was known to make cut-throat decisions, to do what needed to be done in so many instances before, but this was different. This wasn't her pride. This was her heart. And Veronica couldn't deny that deep down, even as she was being treated like the dirt Cheryl walked all over, she still longed to be accepted again. She couldn't jeopardize the chance she had to reconcile with the redhead and be wrapped in her arms again. Airing their secret out of anger like it were filthy, instead of beautiful, would do irreparable damage. It was just one more thing Cheryl had complete control over. Veronica kept her lips pressed into a thin line, refusing to speak on the matter at all.

Betty had to use her Nancy Drew skillset to try to decipher where her best friend's behavior was coming from. Sure Cheryl and V had been at complete odds over the past few months, starting with the silent treatment of a week they had presented a while ago. The blonde had chalked it up to a power struggle, and this show of tension tonight had mirrored that behavior from long ago. But this was more intense. More _personal_.

* * *

 

Disappointingly, Cheryl wordlessly slithered out of bed and draped a robe over her shoulders. She looked back and offered a fragile smile towards the girl who was still shellshocked on her pillows before disappearing into her en suite. The Serpent had recognized when it was time to see herself out. Tugging her top back into a reasonable place, she slipped out of Cheryl's room and headed downstairs to meet with her no-doubt furious Serpent brother.

Toni had since combed her fingers though the waves of her hair and reapplied the lip gloss that had long been smeared from her lips. She gazed at Veronica carefully, silently pacing towards her friend and placed a small, tentative hand on Jughead's Serpent jacket clan shoulder. "What's going on?" she asked, as if she didn't already know.

Jug was startled a little, being wrapped up in the scene that was transpiring in front of him. He turned to see Toni looking at him curiously.

"Huh? Wait -- Where's Cheryl?" His head swerved around Toni to look for the host of the evening, not finding her anywhere in sight. He looked at his friend with a daring gaze, warning him to loop him in on what she knew immediately.

Toni looked back at him innocently, "What do you mean? She's not down here?"

It wasn't a malicious move to try to keep the truth from her Serpent brother, but a diversion rather. The clearly saturated history between Cheryl and Veronica was none of her business, and by the way Veronica reacted upstairs, it wasn't anyones but their business to divulge to anyone else either.

Jughead eyed her dubiously, nodding towards Veronica who was obviously dealing with some sort of strong emotional turmoil. "She said she was going to find Cheryl and came back looking like--" He nodded again towards the brunette who had one hand over her eyes and Archie reaching for the bottle of whiskey and offering to lead her away from prying eyes.

"Jug," the girl sighed guiltily. "That's none of our business."

Although Jughead Jones was not one to let a conspiracy die out like that, he could see how Toni's eyes were begging him to sidebar this for a later time. Betty made her way back toward them, gnawing on her bottom lip in concern. She shrugged feebly at Jughead's questioning eyes and picked up her beer, letting Veronica and Archie fade into the darkness behind Thistlehouse. I guess Betty's big move on Jughead would save for a later date, watching him pay all of his attention at Toni for messing this all up for them.

* * *

 

Outside Archie had his grip firmly around the bottle of whiskey Veronica had successfully drained half of. She hadn't been willing to open up to Betty but didn't object to following him away from the party. He saw this as a sign of trust that she had in him, selfishly boosting his own ego. It was no secret he was enamored with the girl sitting on a bench next to him, and it was nice to be alone with her, but as her tears flowed freely now, he didn't quite feel as proud as he had, recognizing that someone else had reached the heartstrings of the girl in the way he had wished were his own doing. She was clearly hurt in a way that wasn't just because she was frustrated or angry. This was the pain of heartbreak.

"Ronnie, we don't have to talk about what happened, but are you okay?" She clearly wasn't but he wanted her to know none-the-less that he was here for her.

She placed a hand on his arm, offering him a weak smile. She knew as well as Archie how he felt towards her and even as she was beaten down, she felt how affections towards someone other than him could make him feel.

"I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this.. With _me_ like this." They locked eyes, Archie's filled with obvious concern, soft yet unafraid. He shook his head, scooting closer to turn his body in her direction a little further. He wiped a stray tear from her cheek and leaned in to wrap an arm around her shoulders. He hadn't completely put the puzzle pieces together, but he had known it had something to do with Cheryl. It was a lump in his throat that he just had to swallow, but he was the one who was here with her now, and he'd show her that he could offer the love she lacked from someone else.

Veronica leaned into him, letting him press a chaste kiss to her forehead, stroking her fingers absentmindedly up and down his letterman's jacket. "It's just not fair, Arch. To put in so much effort just to be tossed aside like I mean nothing." The way he had tightened his hold on her, Veronica could tell that he encompassed some of the very things Cheryl Blossom lacked; Compassion, sensitivity, _stability_. She looked up into his eyes, seeing nothing but consistency plastered on his face. He was unwavering even in this moment with how much affection he had for her. She smiled, placing a hand against his chiseled jaw. They sat staring into each other's eyes for what felt like eternity for Archie. He was caught up in being this close to his long time desire, being overwhelmed by the sudden shift in emotion.

It was rushed and misguided, but Archie couldn't stop his pull towards Veronica. As his lips barely brushed hers, she gasped and pushed him away, tears flooding her eyes again.

"I can't--" her voice was hoarse with the painful realization that he was everything she _needed_ but nothing that she wanted. It wasn't his red head she wanted, but _hers_. "I'm not ready, I'm sorry."

That's when Archie understood that Veronica Lodge would never love him the way she loved someone else. Enough to let them break her. _Over and over again._


	4. Something Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I realize some of the dialog from the show is directed differently, but you know, AU. Not as much drama as anticipated, but the next chapter will be up on Wednesday, and ooh am I saving it all for you then >:)

  
The striking alarm sounding in Toni's ears pounded into her skull, effectively waking her from her unsatisfactory slumber. Her stiff neck and aching body were due to waking up on Jughead's couch, and maybe due to the fact that she'd sooner rather than later be walking into Riverdale High to face all the same demons she was afraid of while walking into Thistlehouse two nights ago. Especially after the scene she had a hand in causing, the girl knew 'their kind' would be received with less than enthusiasm. She'd drawn attention to herself because she was too weak to deny Cheryl Blossom and Toni wasn't naive enough to think that having shared one moment of weakness together would have the queen bee in her corner of the ring and shield her from the rest of the calvary.

A knock on the trailer door signaled that Sweet Pea was already up and ready. He let himself in and nodded at her on his way to collect breakfast from FP's kitchen.

"Whoa. Rough night?" he grimaced as he took in her disheveled appearance.

She shot a dirty look at him, rubbing the kink in her neck. "Shut _up_ , Sweets."

With his hands raised in an apology, he backed slowly away and turned towards the smell of bacon.

From the bathroom, Toni could hear the guys chattering through full mouths. Sweet Pea and Jughead were getting riled up, egging each other on with pretend scenarios of how the day could go, only to hear FP lay down the line. There was to be _no_ retaliating under _any_ circumstance.

By the time Toni had fixed her hair into perfect waves and her eyeliner into sharp wings, the boys were trotting out the door, hearing the rev of a bike engine outside. She sighed to herself, grabbing her shoulder bag from the floor by the couch and nodding a thanks to FP for letting her crash, _again_.

As much as they were family, a band of brothers, sometimes the boys forgot that she was still a girl. She had been tough enough to survive growing up on the Southside, rough enough to make a name for herself fighting alongside the Serpents and chill enough to drink at the Whyte Wyrm and talk about girls with them, but sometimes she needed them to _actually_ be brothers and recognize that she was _different_ ; To recognize that she needed different things. Like a few extra minutes getting ready in the morning without having to skip breakfast in their hurry to storm into Riverdale as a united front. Kicking her motorcycle to life, she buckled her helmet and raced off down the dirt road to catch up to them.

A group of ten Serpents stood tall as they walked into Riverdale High, students subconsciously backing themselves into lockers to make way for them, heads turning to stare from afar. Jughead proudly led them through the halls, Toni and Sweet Pea flanking either side of him as they marched. All seemed to be going down without a hitch until Toni caught a glimpse of Veronica waiting at the base of a stairwell, Archie standing no more than a few inches behind her.

At the sight of the pink haired girl again, Veronica's blood started to boil, observing that she was in fact a _Serpent_ and she seemed to be one of the more prominent ones at that. One more reason to loathe her. One more thing in her corner to use to persuade Cheryl back into the Lodge's corner. She squared her shoulders and made a beeline for the smaller girl, her raven locks bouncing off of her shoulders with each stride she made.

"No one invited Fascist Barbie to the party," she snapped, causing the herd to stop dead in their tracks.

Toni understood this is exactly what she was biting off the moment her teeth sunk into Cheryl Blossom, clearly taking a chunk out of this Northsider's territory, but that never meant she was going stand by and be disrespected. She stepped towards Veronica, grounding her feet into the tile of the hallway, Serpents filing in around her, tugging their jackets tighter and clenching fists around the straps of their bags.

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?"

Veronica noted that she was outnumbered, rolling her eyes and turning away. This wasn't a gang war between the Northside and the Serpents, but rather between her and one Serpent in particular, over the girl they both wanted.

As the Vixen shifted her body to turn her back to Toni, Cheryl Blossom in all of her glory came floating down the very staircase Veronica was standing at the bottom of. The glow around her was not deniable, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity, including most certainly the new girl's. The brunette smirked, looking back over her shoulder at the pink haired girl who was all of a sudden visibly nervous.

"Can't hide behind them now, can you? _Queen of the Buskers_ ," Veronica spat over her shoulder.

Cheryl brushed past Veronica, bumping her shoulder against Veronica's to move her out of her path. She would be the first to admit she was less than pleased with the merge of the underachieving hoodlums into her above average classrooms, but seeing Veronica try to upstage her performance of Welcome Committee Head had her on a warpath to set the record straight. She was just about to open her mouth when she spotted a dash of pink hair swishing out from behind the broad shoulder of another male Serpent.

_Toni?_

Cheryl's stomach churned, tasting the rise of bile in her mouth. How could the girl she couldn't get off of her mind the past few days be one of them? She wasn't vile and cunning as the redhead would have imagined a sapphic Serpent would be. She wasn't filthy and unintelligent as anticipated. She was something different altogether. It shook Cheryl to her core, but she refused to be knocked off of her high horse, keeping her eyes averted from Toni's uncertain gaze.

"Look here, motorbike bums. I _own_ these hallways and if a single one of you dares to spread your infectious _Serpent_ subnormality through this school and threaten my impeccable GPA, I will make it my personal mission to watch you mop these floors for years to come, as you'll be destined to spend the rest of your lives cleaning up the mess you've made."

Cheryl's malicious tirade left Toni feeling let down, gripping her shoulder bag as she weaved through the bodies to find her first class in her new school, the redhead's stomach dropping further seeing Toni disappear into the crowd. She hadn't meant to lump Toni into her rant, but there was no way to signal her exclusion without seeming weak. And if Cheryl was anything in the spotlight, it wasn't weak. Still the nausea running through her body at seeing the light disappear from Toni's eyes made her wish that she was something _different._

Toni shouldn't have been so surprised to learn the inevitable truth straight from Cheryl Blossom's mouth-- That she was arrogant and ignorant, raised to be posh and treat everyone who wasn't as so. She shouldn't have felt the prickle of fresh disappointment in her eyes, clouding her sight as she slammed her bag down onto a desk in an empty classroom, but throwing herself just as harshly into the seat, she did. And even waking up from a decadent dream about those soft touches and sweet kisses, not wanting to change a single thing about what they had shared, hadn't been enough for Toni to wish that she wasn't longing for the redhead to be something _completely different._

* * *

 

The bustle of South meeting North had died down as Principal Whetherbee called for everyone to move along. He noted the tension in the air that was so think it could have been cut with a knife, but until it had gone further than a few dirty glares and spiteful verbal exchanges, he'd have to stand by and present a voice of authority that nothing was going to change and everyone would have to make room for the new changes to Riverdale High.

Cheryl rolled her eyes at the weak show from her principal and stood her ground in the middle of the hallway until everyone other than Reggie had cleared into their respective classrooms. Reggie's over-the-top show of masculinity made Cheryl want to gag as he muttered something about scaring off the rest of the student body, inwardly groaning as she left him to stand alone.

Pushing open her AP Literature classroom door open, she occupied her usual seat in the back row, middle column. The carefully chosen position gave her the perfect opportunity to hide the moments she would be on her phone and simultaneously have full scope of the room to pick apart the weaknesses of all her classmates. Manipulative and calculated, per usual. Upon unpacking a textbook and clicking her pen to life, the redhead had barely noticed that none other that a petite girl with pink highlighted hair was sitting one row in front of her and to the left one seat.

_Fuck._

Cheryl would have some explaining to do, if Toni ever wanted to speak to her again, that was. She wasn't absolutely sure that the other girl had noticed the redhead slide gracefully into the seat to her back, but if she had, Toni was doing an excellent job of ignoring the fact altogether. Cheryl would have to settle for watching the Serpent's tiny hands trace doodles with her fingertips absentmindedly on the cover of her textbook from afar. She'd have to stare wistfully at the way her hair flowed in perfect waves down the back of that leather jacket. Now that Cheryl had an actual opportunity to look at the stitching of one up close without being threatened or feeling the need to be the one who was threatening, it was actually kinda beautiful on the girl. The further her eyes traced the emblem south, the more uncomfortably Cheryl had to shift in her seat. It was downright sexy--

"Blossom. _Cheryl,_ " her clearly agitated teacher had questioned for the third time.

A steady stream of eyes that dared look back at her had snapped the Vixen from her reverie.

"My apologies, _Ms. Cary._ Present." She tightened her jaw, peering around the room at spectators and heads immediately snapped back towards the front of the room to escape the death glare. Once alone again, Cheryl had peeked back over to Toni who hadn't seemed to flinch at all at the spectacle. Her stomach dropped, knowing that even if the other girl was curious about her after their clandestine meeting, her show earlier had probably pushed Toni further away than Cheryl had hoped for. Which was something very _different_.

  
_"Topaz, Antoinette?"_

_"It's uh, Toni."_

Cheryl had sucked in a soft breath at hearing her voice again, officially checking out again, mind racing for answers about the girl. She spent the next ninety minutes of her time considering if it were a family name, if she had any family, or if not where she'd come from. She had barely noticed over Ms. Cary's drawling over an unnecessary syllabus the other students packing their things and the redhead had hurriedly collected her things and trotted out into the hallway to try to catch up to the pink haired girl who had seemed to disappear again as soon as class was dismissed.

"Hey!" The redhead had called at Toni's back.

Toni made no sign of slowing down, clearly not interested.

"Antoinette, _wait!_ , " Cheryl had called after the Serpent.

Huffing with annoyance, Toni paused, turning abruptly to face Cheryl who had faltered at the unexpected change of pace.

"It's _Toni,_ " she growled. "But how would I be surprised you wouldn't have remembered that, seeing as we're all just a bunch of criminals and miscreants who couldn't be told apart from one another."

Cheryl let out a reluctant breath in surprise. Obviously Serpent's were tough as nails, but this one had her claws out and looked like she was ready to pounce.

"Of course I remember you, Toni. I'm sorry that you perceived otherwise."

Cheryl's lack of addressing the real issue at hand caused Toni to roll her eyes in disgust and turn to march away again when an uncertain hand desperately lashed out to keep her from disappearing again. Toni looked down incredulously at the porcelain skin wrapped around the leather on her arm.

" _Seriously?"_ Toni looked Cheryl dead in the eyes. "For someone who's so threatened by my very presence, you sure do have some guts putting your hands on me."

Letting go tentatively as to not let the girl get away again, but still stepping closer to her to show Toni she wasn't backing down, the Northsider sighed.

"Look, I think we got off to a rough start. Can we start over?"

The unamused look, plain as day on Toni's face, had shown she wasn't convinced this was something she was open to, so Cheryl rushed on. "Meet me at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe tonight? Around eight? I'd like to clear the air between us-- Show you that I can be.. _different_."

The Serpent took in how uncomfortable the Vixen's body language was, which kept her still for a moment longer out of curiosity. It wasn't an apology, nowhere near it, but Toni's face softened at the idea that at least some part of Cheryl wanted to talk about her ignorant behavior, which is something the Southsider had guessed based on Cheryl's discomfort, hadn't been done very often.

Toni sighed, not sure she was ready to commit to a sit down with someone who could barely respect her for who she was at her core, whether she had shown that directly or indirectly.

Cherly could read the contemplation on Toni's face, deciding that she wouldn't push the pink haired girl any further than she already had by forcing her to do something she didn't want to.

"I'll be there, in a corner booth, if you decide it's worth a shot," Cheryl had backed up a pace, signaling to Toni that she wouldn't hold her up any longer.

Toni, still stoic, although surprised that Cheryl who was clearly panicking at the thought of not being able to reconcile their differences, was willingly letting her walk away offered a weak, half-smile and turned to get to her next class. It wasn't an answer, and both girls knew it, but something about Cheryl Blossom being willing to be vulnerable without one made Toni think that maybe, just maybe, she could be _something different_.


	5. I Want It To Be Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama has officially arrived *cackles*

  
Toni anxiously glanced at the time on her phone, standing behind the bar of the Wyrm. Her dead-beat coverage was running an hour late in true Serpent fashion, probably because he was still rolling around with some sleaze he met earlier in the evening. Okay, so she sounded like Cheryl Blossom, but she was a Serpent and she could call it like it was without it being ignorant. She wiped the same spot on the counter with a wet bar towel that she'd already cleaned about a million times when Wolfe casually strolled in, Serpent jacket slung lazily over his left shoulder.

"About time, Wolfe. I have somewhere to be."

The tall young man shrugged his indifference towards her and tossed his jacket over a stool behind the bar. _"And?_ "

The petite girl threw her towel at him in abhorrence and pushed past him, grabbing her own jacket and storming out the door. She hastily threw her helmet on and checked the time one more time. Eight-fifteen. It would take her at least twenty minutes to get to Pop's from the Southside. In spite of the fact that Toni knew Cheryl would be the type to expect punctuality, she roared her motorcycle to life and hit the road. Toni's stomach was in knots her entire ride, wondering why she felt like she was the one who owed the redhead this meeting when it was supposed to be Cheryl showing up to grovel. Her stomach twisted further, feeling disappointed as she pulled up to the diner, feeling like she had just wasted a trip to the Northside, not spying the '61 Cherry Red Impala she had seen in front of Thistlehouse the weekend before. As she let the engine die and her helmet swing from her head, Toni screwed her face up in frustration and turned back to pull her phone from her pocket. What was she thinking? She didn't even have Cheryl's number. Just as Toni was about to mount her bike again, her eyes caught a glimpse of red hair draped over the pale skin of a woman's shoulder. The pink haired girl's heart skipped a beat seeing that Cheryl had still been sitting in the very booth she said she would be in. Upon closer inspection, Toni had realized that Cheryl's normally strong posture had faded away, her shoulders slumped forward in defeat while she reached into her purse for something, probably her wallet. The girl sighed, pushing her strawberry milkshake away, the look of sadness in her eyes as she flopped a limp twenty dollar bill onto the table.

The chime of the bell on the door hadn't even stirred Cheryl from her self-loathing, eyes cast downward as she waited for her check. Upon deciding she was far too embarrassed to sit there alone any longer and wait for someone to come by and check on her with pity in their eyes, the Blossom moved to slip her purse onto her shoulder.

"Cheryl, wait." Toni's eyes soft and apologetic. She slid carefully into the seat across from the other girl and studied her reaction carefully.

Cheryl looked up in surprise, not quite believing the other girl had actually shown. She looked down, quickly trying to hide the fact that she had just minutes ago been sulking in the lack of Toni's presence. She cast her eyes away, seeing pity in the Serpent's own chocolate eyes, choosing not to say anything in return.

Toni spoke again, reading that the redhead was still feeling some of the embarrassment of being stood up. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got stuck at work and didn't have your number to let you know." Cheryl's eyes softened but her lips were still pressed into a thin line. "Thank you. For waiting. I mean-- I'm really glad you're still here."

It was Toni's turn to do the studying now, taking in the way the redhead seemed to be searching for the perfect response without losing her temper and saying something rude or offensive about being kept waiting. She swallowed down the lump in her throat that was surely carrying some pompous retort and swiftly moved her eyes towards a waitress heading to collect her tab.

"Can we actually get another milkshake? For her--" Cheryl looked expectantly at Toni.

"Chocolate would be great," the Serpent finished with a glowing grin.

"And a water." Cheryl beamed, not making eye contact with the help. Toni's lips pursed together and looked down at the table, " _Please_." Cheryl finished, smiling uncomfortably at the waitress who nodded and turned away.

"I really am sorry to keep you waiting like that, Cheryl." Toni apologized again, lighting up the screen on her phone to read that it was now eight-forty-five.

"I'm just glad you were able to make it at all."

Toni grinned again, seeing how soft and patient Cheryl was looking at her. Sure, she could tell the other girl was fighting back the urge to slip into her elitist ways, but she had managed to swallow them back and allow make room for some acceptance at their table.

"So--" Toni started, nodding and thanking their waitress who had returned with their drinks, "What exactly was so important that I needed to make my way back to the Northside tonight that couldn't wait until school tomorrow?"

Cheryl toyed with the paper wrapping of her straw between her fingers, biting her lip nervously. She finally dared to look into brown eyes, knowing that if she had made a single verbal misstep that the girl would have no issues walking away from her again.

"I wanted to apologize, for lumping you in when I sounded off in the hallway this morning," Cheryl started slowly. She immediately recognized the way that Toni cast her gaze out the window and her lips start to purse again that she wasn't offering enough. "That's not what I mean-- I mean, _I do_.. apologize for that, but I'm not done.."

Toni could feel just how new this was to Cheryl, having to stumble her way around an apology, and she relaxed her jaw, giving Cheryl the space to work through her feelings without Toni's immediate judgement.

"I just, I haven't known a single Serpent with a brilliant reputation. I was raised to hold myself to the highest standard and in the highest regard, and barely anyone already at Riverdale meets the expectations that I hold for myself. I just-- I have to protect myself. "

Toni shook her head, getting ready to make what was sure to be a fierce argument in return, when Cheryl put her hand out to stop her, gently.

"I guess what I'm _trying_ to say is, before I met you, before I knew someone like you could be placed in an AP Literature course, I had always relied on the thoughts and beliefs of my own upbringing. They aren't good people, my family, but I've never been challenged to have to believe otherwise. But for _you_ I want to."

Toni seemed to have accepted that, even though Cheryl could see that she would still have much more work to do to fully earn Toni's trust.

"Cheryl, I can identify with being raised to believe certain things and to be expected to act and _be_ a certain way. I too have my own prejudices, but if I walked around treating everyone differently just because I didn't grow up like them, I'd never be able to grow as a person. I'm not saying that _all_ the Serpent's are as understanding and flexible as I am, but some of us actually _want_ more than that life. We just weren't afforded some of the things that maybe you and other Northside kids were offered growing up. We had to fight, sometimes literally, for every little thing we had. And sometimes _all_ we had," Toni sighed deeply, taking a moment to drive the memory of the hardest moments of her life from her mind, "Sometimes all we had _was_ each other." Toni's voice dropped to a whisper, feeling the tug of emotion in her chest. "They're my _family_."

Cheryl contemplated the soft features of Toni's face, being faced with the harsh reality that as tragic as her upbringing had been, maybe it had been worse for someone else who never been given the opportunity to change it for herself.

"Toni," Cheryl whispered in response. Reaching out to place a tender hand over the other girl's tanned skin. "You're right. I've been stuck on my pedestal for so long, I've never paused to consider what it would be like from another perspective. But I'd like to try and understand." Her eyes looked up at Toni's as her thumb traced back and forth over the scarred knuckles of the Serpent. "Will you allow me to know you? All of you?"

Toni flipped the hand that Cheryl had placed her own on so she could press her palm against Cheryl's and give her a light squeeze.

"I'd really like that."

* * *

 

Over the course of the next two hours, the two girls had talked about how Toni had even ended up being placed in AP Lit, discovering not only the common ground that they both adored poetry but that Pablo Neruda was one of both their all time favorites. They discussed how Toni had discovered her appreciation for beautiful things from behind the lens of a camera and developing her own photos. Toni had laughed when Cheryl had admitted her perfect posture was due to her love of archery, not the years of etiquette classes she was mandated to attend growing up. She also learned that Cheryl was probably fantastic with her fingers, being quite the proficient piano player.

It was profoundly eye opening to both girls how aside from their completely dissimilar upbringings, they were actually not that different from each other. The pair had long forgotten they were still sitting in Pop's, completely unaware of anyone but each other. They sat there, grinning like school kids at each other, the rumblings of chuckles still lingering in their throats. Toni's hand was still in Cheryl's when the chime of the door and shrill voice had interrupted them.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Cheryl?! _This_ is why you couldn't answer my texts and phone calls?"

Toni felt the smooth skin of Cheryl's recoil from her own as if she'd been the burner of a stove that had torched the curious hand of a child. Her eyes were wide with panic upon seeing not only Veronica, but Archie, Betty and Kevin staring at the she and Toni, the panic apparent in both Betty and Kevin's eyes as well.

"V, easy," Kevin tried to coax, but it was too late.

"You're a fucking harlot, Cheryl Blossom." Veronica had wound back to bring her own palm clear across Cheryl's right cheek, the crack of skin on skin echoing off of the walls of the diner. The redhead's hand had raised to her cheek as Cheryl cowered into her seat.

Toni shot out of her seat, shoving Veronica backwards with so much force that her petite frame barreling forward also knocked Betty off balance and into the booth behind them. She had both hands nearly enveloping Veronica's neck when Kevin wrapped his arms in a bear hug around Toni's rigid body. She thrashed in his arms, pupils dilated, trying to get her hands back on Veronica. Archie lunged for Kevin who shoulder checked the athlete back, managing to hang onto the wild Serpent.

"Back up, Archie!" Kevin roared, struggling to try to swing Toni away from both Archie and Veronica.

Betty had since popped up from the booth behind them and was reaching for Veronica, but Cheryl was quicker. Her grip on Veronica's wrist was so tight that the Blossom's knuckles were almost translucently white. She tugged the brunette violently behind her, storming towards the exit door. They were gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Betty and Archie standing there absolutely stunned at what had just transpired.

Toni ceased her struggle in Kevin's arms, shrugging him off gently to let him know that she wasn't going to flip out again. She couldn't hold back the sting of fresh tears in her eyes, pushing past Archie and throwing a crumpled twenty on the table from her jacket pocket.

"Don't go after her, or I swear I'll find you and--"

  
"Fuck you too, _coward_." Toni spat back at Archie's threat as she deserted the scene.

She pounded her helmet onto her head and broke nearly double the speed limit in her haste to retreat back to FP's trailer, where she belonged. The way Cheryl had deserted her without a split second of hesitation left Toni with an empty feeling in her chest. Maybe Cheryl had been right, deep down. The Southside girl from the wrong side of the tracks would never be able to fit into the girl's Northside life. She'd never be able to prove she wasn't just another miscreant, resorting to anything but violence. Most of all, tears whipped off of Toni's face, knowing that she'd never be Veronica.

* * *

 

Cheryl had thrown Veronica into the passenger seat of the Lodge's blue Thunderbird before slamming the door and crashing into the driver's seat.

"Give me your keys." Her voice stricken with disgust, as her hand stuck out impatiently.

"What--"

" _Give me your keys, Veronica!_ " Cheryl all but screamed, feeling cold metal drop into her palm.

Cheryl peeled out of the parking lot without so much as a glance towards any oncoming traffic. Her lead foot driving lower onto the pedal, pulling the car near it's red-zone. Veronica barely dared to peek at the zoned out redhead, tears slipping down her cheek at the sight of a handprint tattooed on the pale skin of Cheryl's face.

"Cheryl, slow down! Where are we going?" Veronica cried desperately.

"Be quiet, Veronica," Cheryl barked back, suddenly swerving down an old dirt road. The car bounced forcibly up the road, curling them around a mountainside until Cheryl finally slammed on the breaks as they screeched to a stop on the other side of the dense trees that lined the pitch black road. They sat at the top of a lookout, overlooking Riverdale's town lights.

"Get out." Cheryl hadn't raised her voice this time, but the force in her tone still startled the brunette. When Veronica didn't budge, Cheryl banged on the steering wheel, still staring straight ahead. "I said get out!"

The Lodge scrambled for the latch of the door and stumbled out, eyes stuck on the other girl who got out and slammed the door, pacing back and forth with her hands running through red locks. When Cheryl offered no explanation still, Veronica tried again.

"Cheryl," she croaked, not withholding the fear in her voice.

Cheryl finally looked at Veronica, mascara starting to streak down her cheek over the hand print. "What do you _want_ from me, Veronica? Do you really loathe me that much that you would cause a scene in front of everyone like that? Do you wish to see me cower in embarrassment? To see me publicly crash down off of my high horse?"

Cheryl stepped towards Veronica, causing the other to flinch. When the slap didn't come, Veronica opened her eyes to see tears flooding Cheryl's face. Her heart dropped into her stomach, guilt churning nauseatingly. Her anger from earlier melted instinctually into sympathy for the other girl.

"Cheryl, no," Veronica's pleading caused her own tears to start to fall. She stepped carefully towards the redhead, her hand slowly reaching for Cheryl's arm. When the Vixen didn't pull away or retaliate in anger, Veronica pulled Cheryl against her body. Cheryl's chest heaved, trying to hold back her tears, feeling all of her pain and frustration on the tip of her tongue. The brunette tucked Cheryl's face against her neck and let the girl sob there, smoothing circles on her back.

"I'm sorry, baby," Veronica cooed. "I'm so, so sorry."

Cheryl had let loose, weeping freely against the other girl and eventually dug her nails into Veronica's back, grasping for support the harder she cried. Veronica held her closely, moving a hand to smooth over her hair gently. Her shoulder was wet in a mess of tears and more, eventually gently tilting Cheryl's chin so she could wipe away the wet from Cheryl's face as her tears started to slow. Her thumb traced over Cheryl's lips, the girl sighing against her. Veronica kissed the redheads cheek gently, once, twice, three times. On the forth though the Lodge moved slightly to the left, pressing a kiss to Cheryl's lips.

It was manipulative, toxic and destructive, but Cheryl had nothing left in her to try to fight Veronica's lips being pressed against hers. She was so emotionally drained, that the girl sunk right back into the brunette, hoping to release whatever was left of the noise in her head. Their lips moved weakly against each other's. Veronica's tongue pushed past plush lips, pulling Cheryl securely against her again. Cheryl welcomed her, hugging tighter against Veronica and falling a little more limp in her arms. They eventually slowed their lips, the brunette pecking Cheryl a few more times, wrapping her arms protectively around Cheryl and tucking her chin against her chest, swaying them on the top of the mountain in the cool night air.

"I didn't mean to do all of this because I hate you, Cheryl," Veronica whispered into the girl's ginger locks. "The opposite, in fact. I can't see you with her, because I want it to be _me_."

Cheryl had since calmed down to the point of exhaustion, her eyes closed as she barely hummed that she had heard Veronica's words. The brunette gently nudged Cheryl awake, leading her back to the car and carefully packing her into the passenger seat, covering her with a blanket that had been tucked into the back seat. She tucked Cheryl's loose hair behind her ear and pressed gentle lips to her temple.

With Cheryl passed out in the car as they neared town again, Veronica had decided to take her back to the Pembroke and stir her awake long enough to get her upstairs, and with a little coercing and help, wash her face and change into some silk pajamas before tucking Cheryl into her bed. As Veronica laid herself behind Cheryl and wrapped her arms around the petite waist, Cheryl leaned forward and cuddled into the pillow. She tugged the brunette's arm tighter around her and Veronica kissed Cheryl's hair.

"I love you, Cheryl. I'm _in_ love with you."

Cheryl had mumbled sleepily as she finally drifted off to sleep. Veronica had barely heard it, but it was unmistakable whose name she had whispered. Cheryl had finally fallen into her slumber, Toni's name the last thing that left her lips.

Once Veronica was certain Cheryl was deep into her sleep, she pried her arm out of the redhead's clutch and sobbed her own tears into her pillow.

_Why can't she love me back?_

_I just want it to be me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I do NOT condone violence, ESPECIALLY of the domestic variety, but it's not something that doesn't happen in relationships, heterosexual, homosexual or otherwise. It will be addressed in chapters to come.
> 
> Feedback is always welcome. I have an outline in my mind, staple chapters mapped out, and an endgame planned, but if you'd like to see something specific, I'm open to hear what y'all would like to see.


	6. Another Type Of Fight

A massive headache had thumped between Cheryl's temples as the sun shone brightly into her eyes. She rubbed the sleep away, feeling the tenderness of her puffy eyes. She flinched as the welt on her cheek brushed against the pillow. The memories had flooded back, one by one, and Cheryl sat upright quickly, her head spinning. She was overwhelmed by dizziness and gently faded back into the pillows. There was no way she was going to school after last night. There was no way she was even _getting out of bed_.

Her eyes squinted at the bright light of her phone which had been plugged into the charger on the nightstand it was resting on. Veronica's doing, no doubt.

Veronica. _Fuck._

It had all been devastating. Veronica slapping her. Toni laying hands on Veronica. Archie trying to lay hands on Toni. Veronica laying lips on her. Cheryl accepting them. Veronica admitting she loved Cheryl. That she was _in_ love with her.

The Blossom had been absolutely delirious with emotion and exhaustion by the time she laid in Veronica's bed, but she was almost positive that her head was swimming with thoughts purely of Toni as she finally lost her grasp on the day. She unlocked her phone, desperate to tap out a message to Toni to check on her, only to remember that they still hadn't exchanged numbers. Instead seven missed calls and fifteen messages awaited her.

[11:31PM _missed call_ **Betty** ] :

[11:32 PM _missed call_ **Betty** ] :

[11:37 PM _missed call_ **Archie** ] :

[12:03 AM _missed call_ **Mother** ] :

[12:47 AM _missed call_ **Mother** ] :

[12:50 AM _text_ **Mother** ] : Where in carnation are you, wicked child? Return home immediately.

[1:02 AM _text_ **Mother** ] : Cheryl Blossom, I will call Sheriff Keller to collect you if you don't respond in five minutes.

[1:26 AM _text_ **Kevin** ] : Cheryl everyone is looking for you. I told my dad you were with V.

[1:34 AM _text_ **Kevin** ] : Are you with her? Are you okay?

[1:43 AM _missed call_ **Betty** ] :

[8:03 AM _missed call_ **Betty** ] :

Cheryl scrolled past the rest of the cluster fuck of messages from her friends, clicking on Veronica's name instead.

[8:17 AM _text_ **Veronica** ] : I'm sorry I didn't want to wake you after what happened last night.

[8:18 AM _text_ **Veronica** ] : I let Kevin and Betty know you were okay and at the Pembroke safe. I won't tell them anything though Cheryl. I promise.

[8:18 AM _text_ **Veronica** ] : I laid out some clothes for you on the chair. Have a shower. Feel free to use anything you need. Have Andre go and get you breakfast. Call me if you need anything.

Cheryl rolled onto her back, fresh tears in her eyes. It wasn't a horrible misunderstanding or a dream. Last night had definitely happened. As much as she needed a shower and her stomach growled for nutrients, all Cheryl wanted to do was crawl back into a ball and cry herself back to sleep. And that's exactly what she did.

* * *

At school, Toni who had dark circles under her eyes, had refused to speak to Jughead. It had been that way since she slipped into the trailer just before midnight, tears streaking her face. He was up snacking on some Dorito's when she snuck in, peeking over at her to see why she hadn't greeted him. He'd asked her what was wrong, but all she did was kick off her boots and lay on the couch with her back to him. The more angry he got with who had hurt her and who he needed to track down, the further she curled into herself, saving her sobs for when he finally turned off the light and retreated to his bed.

Sweet Pea and Fangs poked fun at their Serpent sister's bedraggled appearance, earning a shove to their backs from FP's son. He glared at them and shook his head, calling them off, watching as she walked off on her own and closed a classroom door behind her. Inside Toni wiped a single tear from under her left eye.

She'd lost control. She'd acted out in the very way she was so persistently upset with Cheryl for judging the Serpents for. She was exactly what the Blossom said she was and it was messing with Toni's head. How could she possibly think she could prove anything to Cheryl when she was so quick to revert to the behavior the redhead despised? That's probably why she didn't show up at school today. Because she couldn't possibly bear the thought of being so wrong about the pink haired girl. She was probably disgusted with the Serpent and never wanted to see or talk to her again.

The further the day ticked on without any appearance from Cheryl, the worse Toni got into her head. She hadn't said a single word since last night, keeping her nose down and eyes from meeting with anyone else. The boys had since ignored her completely, up to their usual rowdy behavior at lunch, until finally Toni looked up and spied Veronica in the cafeteria with Kevin and Archie. She silently stood, throwing her bag over her shoulder and paced towards them. Archie saw her first, standing to cut her off.

Jughead placed a hand on Sweet Pea's chest at the same time Veronica put hers on Archie's chest to stop them from letting their masculinity get in the way of the deeper issue at hand. Veronica had seen how Toni was dragging herself around all day and she knew there would be no more fighting, at least not today.

Toni's jaw was tightened, eyes on Archie before turning to address Veronica. When Toni said nothing, clearly exhausted and beaten down about the whole thing, the brunette let her shoulder's relax.

"She's okay. She's at mine."

Toni exhaled in relief, nodding in appreciation for the information. She began to turn to walk away when Veronica called after her.

"Topaz." Veronica's eyes fell to her phone, swallowing thickly as she pulled up Cheryl's contact in her phone before handing it over towards Toni.

Toni stood still. Not quite sure what to do next.

"You should talk to her." Veronica pushed the phone towards her again, letting Toni take it from her hand and copy the number into her own phone.

"Thanks," she offered weakly, handing Veronica's phone back to her. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and headed out of the cafeteria, everyone flabbergasted at what that exchange between the girls was.

* * *

Toni had struggled with herself for the rest of the day, wrestling with the idea of sending Cheryl a text, just to apologize, to tell her that she knew she never wanted to hear from her again but that she just wanted to know if she was okay. By the ring of the last bell, Toni had sucked up her pride, shooting the other girl a message.

[3:56 PM _outgoing_ _text_ ] : Cheryl. It's Toni

[4:23 PM _outgoing text_ ] : I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. And to make sure you're okay

She hadn't gotten a response by the time she was back at Sunnyside trailer park. Deciding to crash at Sweet's instead of facing Jughead's inevitable questions. At least she could mope without him prying any further if she ignored him the first time. She'd laid on the couch, staring blankly at the tv screen while he had played some stupid Nintendo game until he finally turned it off and squeezed her shoulder, leaving her in the dark to deal with the demons that had been haunting her all day. The girl had just started to drift off to sleep when her phone lit up the pitch black room and vibrated on the coffee table. It was an incoming FaceTime from--

"Cheryl?" Toni answered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Hold on," she whispered. Toni had crept out to be under the porch light so she wasn't disturbing anyone that slept inside and so she could actually be seen, even if the lighting outside was still dim. That's when Toni had really noticed the still puffy eyes and swollen right cheek on Cheryl's make-up free face.

"Oh my God, Cheryl, are you okay?" All of Toni's doubts about not being enough for Cheryl faded in her concern for the other girl.

The fragile girl nodded in response, her voice hoarse. "I'm fine. Not exactly attractive right now, but nothing a little concealer in the morning won't fix." Cheryl blushed in embarrassment with how awful she must look. She hadn't really thought much about it when choosing to immediately FaceTime Toni upon finally reading her texts. All she wanted was to see Toni's face, not realizing in her rush to do so that Toni would be able to see her too.

"You're still beautiful, Cheryl."

The redhead offered a weak smile. "I'm sorry I didn't text you back. I pretty much slept all day before returning to Thistlehouse and I just couldn't gather myself enough to--" Cheryl trailed off, not exactly sure of what she was ready to admit to Toni.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I was just worried about you." Toni replied so softly, Cheryl's heart melted. She had _no_ idea.

"Thank you for your concern." The pause in their conversation almost bordered on an uncomfortable silence. Cheryl hadn't known when to bring up the physical altercation but just as Toni had put her in her place, the Blossom had decided the best thing for them was to just get it out all on the table. "Are _you_ okay, Toni? I saw Kevin pulling you off of Veronica."

Here it comes.

Toni squeezed her eyes closed in disappointment, remembering her rage oh-so clearly.

"I'm sorry I acted out like that, Cheryl. I just snapped, seeing someone hurt you like that. But I guess me retaliating didn't hurt you any less than her hitting you. I must have really scared you."

"I was frightened, Toni, yes. But not just for you, for _Veronica_. It was unacceptable."

"I understand. I-- I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore." Toni pursed her lips, shaking her head at herself.

"No, Toni, stop. I _do_ want to continue to talk to you. That's _why_ I'm telling you it was unacceptable. Because if you're going to be in my life, I need you to know I have boundaries that shall not be crossed. Physical violence is one of them. I understand-- I'm _trying_ to understand-- that you've been raised to have to defend yourself and your family, but never, _never_ , will I stand for it in my presence."

Toni looked at Cheryl and nodded in understanding, still embarrassed at how childish she must have looked, defending herself as a Serpent just to slither into a snake trap like Veronica's.

"Oh, my sweet. Please don't think that this is going to change how much I still desire to be in your presence."

Toni smiled sheepishly at the pet name Cheryl had used. "Okay. And you know that I do too-- desire you?" Toni questioned how the words she'd parroted from Cheryl sounded coming from her mouth.

Cheryl simply chuckled, "You're unfathomably adorable, Toni Topaz." As Toni's scrunched her nose in amusement, her heart pounded in her chest at how easy it was for Cheryl to make her lose all control.

"I'll have to bid you adieu for the evening though. I'll need to make sure I'm up early enough to fix--" Cheryl pointed to her puffy face, "this."

"Again, Cheryl, you are going to be beautiful no matter what. But yeah, I'll uh, see you at school tomorrow?"

This time it was Cheryl's turn to blush. "Hush now, TT. Yes, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, my sweet."

Toni looked at Cheryl, heart pounding resiliently. "Night, Cher."

As Cheryl's face had faded into a black screen, Toni sighed and crept back into the trailer, practically floating back onto the couch cushions. It had been yet another tough conversation, this time Toni being on the other side of the fence, being told that her behavior was unacceptable, but at least Cheryl was still willing to get through it and let her continue to get to know her. To let them get to know _them_ , how they worked with each other, as an _us_.

* * *

The morning had come quickly again, leaving Toni with less and less sleep as the longest week of her life continued to push along, whether or not the pink haired girl could keep up or not. She rose quickly though, suddenly excited for the first time to braid her hair and paint on her lipgloss in excitement for seeing Cheryl face to face again. She had a piece of toast stuck between her teeth as she hummed, slipping her feet into her boots when Sweet Pea thumped her on the back.

She coughed out the bread as to not choke on it, swiveling to look at him. "Morning," Toni singsonged at him.

He just rolled his eyes, grabbing a piece of toast for himself. "Made up with your girlfriend, I see."

Toni's jaw dropped. "What?"

Sweets rolled his eyes, reaching for his book bag. "We live in a trailer park, Topaz, not the Ritz Carlton. Close quarters."

Had he heard their entire conversation? Toni's eyes widened in panic.

"Don't worry. I won't tell him."

'Him' being Jughead and Toni immediately knew it. The head Serpent always did have something against her getting to know Cheryl, but the way Sweets had mentioned it made her feel as though it was more than a South vs North thing. She let it go as he let the screen door bang closed behind him, making mental note to ask Sweet Pea about it later.

* * *

Once the short, mid-week, school day was over, Cheryl had asked if Toni wanted to go for a picnic in a nearby park. The sun was still high in the sky and Toni didn't have to report to work later, so she eagerly agreed, offering to pick them up food before meeting her there. She parked her bike next to her Impala and pulled the door open to help the redhead out of the car.

"Such a gentleman, Topaz," Cheryl joked.

Toni simply chuckled and spun Cheryl in her fingertips, taking in the way her red dress floated as she turned, bowing once the girl had made a full 360. They walked side by side, bumping gently into each other as Cheryl pointed to the perfect spot in the grass. Their hands grazed against each other's a few times until the redhead casually slipped her hand into Toni's.

Toni glanced down subtly, hearing a quiet, satisfied hum as Cheryl laced their fingers together. The stupid grin on Toni's face hadn't faded until she laid down the blanket on the grass and unpacked Cheryl's salad for her, handing her a fork and unwrapping her sandwich. She leaned back on one hand, the other bringing her lunch to her mouth. She smiled over at Cheryl who was watching her with just a big of grin on her red lips. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Cheryl had dabbed at her lips with a napkin and picked what was seemingly a light and playful topic of conversation.

"So, Toni, how'd you get my number anyway? Not that I'm complaining."

"Oh, Veronica. She said I should talk to you when you didn't show up to school yesterday," Toni mentioned nonchalantly tucking a bit of sandwich in her cheek like a squirrel so she could speak. It didn't sound as absurd as it should have given the way Toni's hands were literally almost wrapped around the girl's throat just two nights ago, but that was probably just because Toni was elated to be sharing alone time with Cheryl away from all of that drama.

Veronica? _Veronica._ Of course.

"Oh."

Toni took in the clear shift in Cheryl's mood and tone, looking up nervously.

"Was that okay?" Toni hesitated, panic increasing in her chest at the Vixen's reaction.

"No. I mean, yes, that was fine. I just--" Cheryl laid her fork down, looking up into Toni's eyes cautiously, trying to read what else Veronica had shared with the Serpent. If it was all just another ploy to maliciously attack Cheryl with the news of what had happened after they'd all left Pop's.

"You just what, Cheryl?" Toni mumbled slowly. What else? What else could possibly be going on now?

The Vixen laid her salad down, covering it with the lid, picking up one of Toni's hands. Yes, they had known each other less than a week and yet Cheryl felt the need to address yet another hiccup in their.. relationship? They had been getting along so effortlessly, outside of other's cruel intentions for them, and obviously had already been intimate with each other, but what was it that they were doing? Were they just getting to know each other? Were they dating? Was this going to prevent them from moving their relationship along further?

"Toni, do you feel what I feel when we're together?"

The smaller girl looked curiously at Cheryl, wondering where this was headed. "Depends on how you feel," she shrugged. "But if it makes you very, _very_ happy and excited to be around me, then yes, I feel that when I'm with you."

Cheryl blushed slightly, giving Toni's small hand in her own a slight squeeze. "Indeed. I feel that, and _more_."

The Blossom reached up to trace her fingers along Toni's hairline, moving a loose wave of pink hair out of her face as she leaned in. "It makes me want to kiss you, _all_ the time."

Toni finished swallowing her food, humming in approval. "You can, you know, kiss me."

Toni need to say no more as fresh red lips pressed softly against hers. Toni smiled into the kiss, reaching up gently to cup Cheryl's unharmed cheek. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss, sliding her tongue playfully along Cheryl's bottom lip. It was received easily, the redhead granting her access as their tongues slowly danced with each others. Cheryl too reached up to Toni's neck, sliding her fingers into Toni's hair and scratching lightly at the nape of her neck as they pulled away. Her eyes were still closed, whispering against Toni's full lips.

" _All_. The. Time."

Toni chuckled and pressed another peck to Cheryl's lips. "Is that what you were really going to tell me, Blossom?"

Cheryl knew it was too good to be true, crashing back to reality as her eyes finally fluttered open. She exhaled, shaking her head slightly as she brushed her thumb across those beautiful lips, her features falling away into sadness.

"Veronica. She kissed me after we left Pop's. I was so overwhelmed by everything that happened-- I kissed back. I was drained and fell asleep on the way back to town, so she just took me to The Pembroke. We slept together."

_Slept together._

Toni's face screwed up in hurt and confusion, pulling back away from Cheryl.

"No! No, no, no, my sweet." Cheryl reached out to bring Toni back, panic bubbling in her chest. "Nothing further happened. We simply just slept in the same bed."

The full panic attack subsided in Toni's head at the clarification, but the pain on her face couldn't subside as quickly, the pink haired girl staring in shock at the other girl. She thought carefully about how a FaceTime call or a peck to her lips made Toni so giddy that she could momentarily forget all of the crummy things in her life. She didn't want to let that go, but she also didn't want something that beautiful, that _precious_ to be tainted by the endless prodding of external factors and external someones.

"Cheryl, I don't want to be in the middle of this anymore," Toni croaked in frustration. "You need to deal with whatever is going on between you and Veronica before you involve me again. I like you. I want to know more of you, but I'm not going to be a pawn in this game."

The panic had not strike any harder than it had in that moment, Cheryl grasping at Toni's arm. Her eyes were pleading, but Toni only smiled in defeat yet again. They both knew it was the truth. Whatever was going on between them couldn't survive until Cheryl cleared a path for them.

Toni leaned in to press a kiss to Cheryl's cheek, the redhead leaning fiercely into it, and tightening her grip on Toni's arm before letting her retreat. Picking up her sandwich and sighing, Toni paced off towards where they had parked, leaving Cheryl sitting in a pool of her own thoughts, gazing over the grass into the trees.

  
Toni left feeling more confused than she ever had. Why would Cheryl kiss her and then immediately admit she had kissed and spent the night with another girl? Did she want to continue playing this game with Vixen? In all reality, could she really say no?

Cheryl watched as Toni straddled her bike and clipped her helmet into place, yet another tear rolling down her cheek when Toni didn't change her mind and come running back. It was in that moment that the Blossom knew she couldn't always expect Toni to come running back to her in every situation, but that she'd have to fight to keep her. And fight is exactly what she'd intended to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Per request, we'll get to see Cheronica in the next chapter!


	7. Love Is A Complicated Emotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is entirely Cheronica. Smut and angst warnings shall apply, I'd say.

Love was a complicated emotion for Cheryl Blossom, in every sense of the word.

She had often times confused the depth of love with the benefits of having money or power. She'd been born into both power and money, but the lack of love in her Blossom blood had viciously skewed the perception of the emotion. Family was supposed to mean love, whether it was nurturing or tough, but instead all she grew into was an intense feeling of protection of the wealth and legacy her family name held. She was brought up to believe that if one had not been bred into blood that was just as rich with those attributes as her own, love could simply not be possible. It was incestuous, the way the aristocratic had cultivated with other elite to produce the finest quality of human.

Cheryl had learned just how exclusive that pool was when her mother had found a way to send away the only person who had ever actually wanted her away after storming in on them sharing their first ever kiss. The redhead hadn't found a safety net in anyone other than her best friend in middle school, but Penelope had made it exponentially clear that her behavior had been 'below' them. She wasn't the heir to an inheritance that could keep the Blossom name thriving for generations to come so she was exiled from the bosom of Blossom blood.

Under the surface, Cheryl knew her mother was referring to her exploration with another girl as being below them, as being deviant, but she justified it away in her young and impressionable heart as it boiling down to not choosing the _right_ girl.

Which was how her initial attraction to Veronica Lodge had been born.

She'd tried her hand at messy mash-ups with boys on the football and basketball team. Their sweaty palms and bulky bodies didn't do much to stir Cheryl in the way other girl's talked about it. But Vixen, Veronica Lodge, she did all the right things with her body and used her feminine voice to bring that deep longing out in Cheryl that she'd left back in Thornhill with the girl she'd never see again. She was always dressed as if she'd walked straight out of a Chanel boutique, well spoken as if she had co-authored Shakespeare's finest sonnets, and well planned and executed, as if she _actually_ were a mobster's daughter. Veronica Lodge was something even Penelope Blossom couldn't argue wasn't good enough to walk hand in hand with Blossom blood.

All of those suppressed memories, the ones that had been let loose as Veronica Lodge's body had pressed heavily on top of hers, were swirling in Cheryl's mind as Andre greeted her before opening the doors to the suite in the Pembrooke that housed the brunette.

"She's in her bedroom, Miss Blossom."

Cheryl thanked him and glided over to the room, hand unsteady as she pushed into Veronica's room. Her brown eyes cleared the room, finding no sign of the petite girl. She stepped further into Veronica's familiar quarters, tracing a light finger over her dresser, gaze flickering over her jewelry box and the photos of she and Betty in rather embellished gold frames. She got so lost in how happy they looked, wondering if she'd ever find a friendship and bond with someone they way they'd found in each other, that she didn't hear the en suite door open.

"Oh," Veronica gasped.

Cheryl looked up suddenly, taking in Veronica's supple chest, slowly trailing her eyes down to the delicious curve of the girl's hips in a matching black lace lingerie set, feeling a jolt in her stomach.

"Cheryl." Veronica was perplexed, wrapping her silk robe around her exposed frame and tying a gentle knot around her waist to keep it secure. "What are you doing here?"

Cheryl shifted uncomfortably, not even knowing where to start, especially after seeing Veronica in that getup.

"Well," Cheryl cleared her throat, "I just-- I thought that we needed to have a conversation, considering we haven't spoken about what had transpired between us. We have some things to clear up."

The Lodge crossed her arms across her chest, defensively. "What about Toni?"

Cheryl shook her head at herself, willing to keep the Serpent off her mind.

"This isn't about her, Veronica. This is about me. About _you.._ and me." She waved her hand as to not misconstrue what she meant by that. "This whole thing started so suddenly and I guess I just want to understand how you got here, with me. And I want you to understand where I am. I want _us_ to be able to be in a good place with each other."

The brunette drank in Cheryl's words, feeling a spark in her chest at how open she was willing to be after all that they'd been through. She let her arms unwind and drop to her side, stepping up to the redhead and taking a hand in her own. She kissed Cheryl's cheek and nodded, pulling them over to the bed to take a seat. The raven-haired girl pat the spot next to her, motioning for Cheryl to sit too.

"I've been waiting for you to be ready for this, Cheryl."

Tucking a loose wave behind her ear, Cheryl nodded, knowing that she hadn't been the most consistent in her behavior towards Veronica while she tried to figure out where her head was, especially since Toni's arrival.

"I understand at times I've been less than kind to you, more so than a typical day on a Blossom warpath. I know there is no excusing how I've behaved towards you, but I do want you to understand where it came from. I feel like you can have concluded for yourself that there's a side of me that I haven't been open with," Cheryl side-glanced at Veronica as she mentioned her sexuality. "You're not the first girl I've had feelings for, but you are the first I've ever really been allowed to open up and truly act on those feelings with. My mother was privy to the deviance of my inner cravings and it hadn't ended well when she found out. I guess what I wanted in you, I was also terrified of, because I was punished for feeling the way that I do and for letting that part of me free. Any time things got real between us, I felt like I needed to push it away."

Cheryl could feel Veronica stirring slightly next to her and she thought about every singe glance, over analyzing if she was allowed to touch Veronica and bring her further into their conversation or if she'd confuse things even more if she did. The further she opened up though, the less Cheryl wanted to control the situation and the more real she wanted to be, and that was showing Veronica that she was apologetic about how she handled things between them.

Taking Veronica's hand and pulling it to rest in her lap, Cheryl looked up at the girl with vulnerable eyes, gauging her reaction.

"I'm sorry that you were struggling, Cheryl. But I wish that you had just talked to me about it instead of pushing me away."

"You're right. I just wasn't ready to admit to myself that this part of me isn't something I'm going to outgrow. But I am now, and I want to apologize for not confiding in you sooner."

"I appreciate that. And I'm sorry too. For slapping you."

"I do also want to address _that_."

Veronica moved her hand from Cheryl's and twisted to look into the girl's eyes. She smoothed her hand over the redhead's thigh and rested it there to support her weight.

"It will _never_ happen again, Cheryl."

"Very well. But I want you to know that it shall be true. I'll never allow you to put your hands on me in that capacity again. It was not behavior to be tolerated, towards me or anyone else for that matter. As awful and malicious as the things my family have partaken in, I will not stand for it in my life moving forward."

"Fair boundary to have," Veronica noted. "And I can't say I'm not still vividly upset that you chose to shove your night with Toni at Thistlehouse in my face, after allowing me to touch you in ways that should have let you know I was already exclusively yours. But I vow to never stoop that low again."

Cheryl sucked in her lip at the mention of Toni's name. She chose to divert the conversation back to them, one word Veronica mentioned standing out above all the others.

" _Exclusively?_ Mine?"

Veronica tightened her grip on Cheryl's thigh, getting lost in those questioning chocolate eyes.

"God, _yes_ ," the brunette breathed. "Cheryl, I'm _so_ attracted to you. The way you speak, the way you move, the way you command any room you walk into. I've gravitated towards you from the beginning, but I felt like there was nothing I could do to break through to you. I was pining after you for months, picking arguments with you just to get you to notice me."

By this time, Veronica was leaning in so close, their faces were just a foot away from each other, the girl moving a hand to cup Cheryl's cheek tenderly. Something inside of Cheryl that had fought to keep Veronica away was prying to be let loose from her chest. She could feel, the further Veronica delved into the inner truth she was speaking, that in some small capacity, the redhead had also felt the same things regarding the raven-haired girl.

"Cheryl, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I _had_ to kiss you. And when you kissed me back, my hunger for you only grew until you let me _touch_ you." Veronica's hand slid further up Cheryl's thigh, leaning in even further to her face, her voice lowering into a deep husk. "And when you came on my fingers for the first time, my name on your lips, I knew I was _yours_. I knew I was falling in love with you."

Cheryl's breath hitched, the familiar sensation of heat growing between her legs. _No_ , this couldn't be happening _again_. Her heart was with someone else, but just like Toni had said, she needed to figure out what was going on between she and Veronica before she could give herself to the pink haired girl and her body was surely telling Cheryl that there was still something there. Veronica, after all, was the one to awaken a part of Cheryl that had been dormant in all the years that a young woman should have been exploring and learning and understanding. She owed Veronica that truth, and it seemed, her body also.

Cheryl shifted her hips closer to the edge of the bed which caused Veronica's hand to slide even further up her thigh until it was grazing the growing heat between her legs. Veronica breathed slowly against Cheryl's cheek, squeezing her thigh in response.

"Cheryl," she whispered.

All the redhead could do in response was buck her hips lightly, forcing herself against Veronica's hand again. Red fingernails dug deep into the satin sheets just behind the raven-haired girl, her lips slightly parted as her breath quickened.

Veronica pulled Cheryl's chin so their faces were inches apart, lips nearly brushing.

" _Cheryl_ ," she whispered again, eyes slamming closed in frustrating restraint. "Are you _sure_?"

The brunette felt a nod against her lips, crashing hard against them with less than a split second to decide otherwise. She wrapped her fingers deep into red hair and pulled gently, guiding Cheryl's body to the mattress, earning her a strangled moan. She mounted the other girls hips with ease, still ravishing plump lips with her own. Veronica pressed her chest against Cheryl's, messy lips sliding to press into the redhead's neck. Soft whimpers graced her ears as she sucked lightly on the spot Veronica knew always drove Cheryl crazy. She wouldn't be territorial now and leave marks on the girl's body, wanting this to be something that was just _theirs_.

Cheryl's manicured red claws dug into Veronica's back, dragging them dangerously deep as though to try to rip clear through the silk, pushing her needy hips up into the other Vixen's, letting another groan escape her lips. Veronica lifted off of Cheryl for a moment, sitting her weight back on Cheryl's thighs. Her sleek fingers, ever-so-slowly untying the knot around her waist before tossing the ends of the silk rope to the side. She shrugged at the silk robe one shoulder at a time, letting it fall from her smooth skin, letting it pool at around her hips and at Cheryl's waist.

The Blossom inhaled deeply, eyes raking over the toned stomach and luscious hips perched on top of her own. Cheryl's stomach clenched at the way Veronica's legs were parted, sitting atop her very own. She scratched her nails down the Lodge's thighs, dragging them down to her knees pressed into the mattress before stroking them back up to grab hold of the girl's waist. Veronica was even more desirable than Cheryl had ever really stopped to appreciate. The pair had always been hasty, in a crash of lips and hurried hands in the back seat of a car, or in a dark hallway of a party, but in the light of the truth, giving it the time it deserved, Cheryl Blossom flooded with heat admiring the sturdy girl above her.

Hands found Veronica's chest, curiously cupping both of her breasts, scratching at the material to try to get more, a smirk on the brunette's lips at Cheryl's reaction. It was captivating, just as everything else about the Blossom had been, to watch Cheryl finally unleash her true self, without fear or haste. Cheryl moved to dig her nails down the Lodge's sides, eyes following slowly, feeling herself dripping at the sight before her. She licked her lips once before Veronica couldn't take it anymore, crashing her lips against Cheryl's again. The brunette let her hand part their bodies, snaking it further until she reached under Cheryl's dress and skirted her fingertips up her heat to the waistband of her underwear. She dipped in slowly, eyes on Cheryl's, waiting for approval before dipping any lower.

"Are you still okay?"

Cheryl nodded and bit back a moan when Veronica's middle fingertip pressed against her clit, her bottom lip locked between pearl white teeth. The brunette's fingertip rubbed slow, deliberate circles against her, adding more pressure and speed at the increasing pants falling from Cheryl's smudged red lips. The Blossom tugged her dress above her hip, giving herself the room to widen her legs to let Veronica work between them. As her pale knees hit the satin sheets, Veronica pressed her body into the back of her hand, sealing herself against Cheryl completely. The redhead's jaw fell slack, breathing heavily, feeling Veronica's hips move in circles in time with her hand. Cheryl inhaled deeply when Veronica finally slowed to offer some reprieve. Once Cheryl's breath had caught up to her body, diligent fingers slid through wetness to reach her opening. With Veronica's mouth hovering over Cheryl's, she asked for permission yet again.

"Do you want them inside of you?"

Not being able to form actual words, Cheryl shoved a hand between their bodies and gripped Veronica's wrist, desperate for more. She pushed the brunette's fingers into herself, whining the further Veronica drove them. Cheryl's nails latched onto the skin of Veronica's wrist as it pumped into her over and over again, slowly at first. She held on with a vice like grip as her lover pulled her fingers nearly out of her and pushed them back in. The Blossom could feel the thrusts begin to get more rough, her back thudding against the mattress, faint pants of _'right there'_ and ' _harder_ ' spurring Veronica on. Cheryl could hear how wet she was, Veronica smashing into her with so much force it had begun to shake the entire mattress. Uncontrollable, small gasps left Cheryl's lips each time Veronica filled her to her depths, feeling the tight coil in her lower stomach begin to wind tighter.

" _Ungh_ , V." Cheryl whined, her hips beginning to move to meet Veronica's thrusts with an intensified fervor.

" _Yes_. Yes, baby, I'm right here." Veronica's fingers curled up inside of Cheryl hitting the spot she knew would make the Blossom come undone. There was no high like the one Veronica felt watching beads of sweat form on Cheryl's face, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth hung open to make way for whimpers that Veronica was singularly responsible for. She reached up to lay her hand next to Cheryl's head, leaning further into her thrusts. "Come for me, Cheryl."

With her free hand gripping the bedsheets just as tightly as her other was clenched onto Veronica's wrist, Cheryl nodded and continued to pant. She threw her hips down to meet Veronica's thrusts a few more times, feeling her walls tighten around the girl's fingers.

" _Ungh, ungh,_ mhmm _,_ oh _, Veronic-- uuuuh!_ "

And just like that, with their bodies connected in the deepest way, Cheryl had released herself onto Veronica's fingers, one more time.

 

* * *

 

As they lay side by side, Veronica played with Cheryl's fingers, lazily. She couldn't stomach having to face the truth about what she was going to ask, but the glazed over look in Cheryl's eyes as she lay staring at the ceiling blankly told a story that Veronica couldn't ignore anymore. She had wanted so desperately to try to fight her way back with Cheryl, but there was just something missing, something Veronica couldn't just cover up by accepting a physical love and not the whole package.

"This was the last time, wasn't it?"

Cheryl blinked a single tear from her eye at the pain in Veronica's voice. After hearing just how deeply the brunette had opened up, truly accepting that she couldn't return those feeling on more than a physical level, the redhead braced herself for finally having to draw the line and utter the heartbreaking truth.

"Veronica," Cheryl said, sadly. "I don't want to-- I _can't_ hurt you anymore."

It was unfair, cruel even, that Veronica had been the one to reawaken Cheryl Blossom's true self, only to find herself on the outside as something new altogether had swept in and stolen all of the credit, had stolen the part of Cheryl she so desperately wanted the most.

"You don't even know her, Cheryl," Veronica pleaded softly, teetering on the edge of the fence that Cheryl was building to try to keep her out. They both felt it, that this game of back and forth needed to come to an end, both chasing after something the other couldn't give. But it was still so raw, and still so real, and that didn't make it any easier for the Lodge to let go of.

Love was a complicated emotion for Cheryl Blossom to conceptualize, until she met _her_.

It wasn't about money, or about power. Her legacy had _nothing_ to gain from Toni Topaz. But as a person, as a _human being_ , Cheryl had _everything_ to gain from the smaller girl. It had been all of one week since the Serpent had made her grand entrance into her life and already Cheryl Blossom cared less about living to give her name more meaning and more about what living life for someone else's meant. She felt it. A change that hadn't come, even after all of her intimate meetings with Veronica.

"I _do_ , though, Veronica. I recognize her far beyond the confines or time or words. I know her. My heart _knows_ hers. And that, it isn't something that money or power can choose. It isn't something _I_ can't choose. It's been done. It just _is_."

"Do you-- love her?" Veronica's voice quiet, the hurt evident on her face.

Cheryl tried not to be insensitive towards the brunette, the thought of Toni causing her chest to burst, keeping still a smile that was threatening to spread wide on her face.

Love was a complicated emotion for Cheryl Blossom.

She knew that just in her short time with the Serpent thus far that she had so much more to learn and feel, but the Cheryl could feel the stirrings of something more, and with a small empathetic smile at Veronica, it was answer enough. That Cheryl Blossom didn't know _love_ , but she knew Toni.

Veronica didn't receive a verbal answer, and she wasn't convinced it would have been a 'yes' but it was enough of a contemplation for Cheryl to understand that Veronica had to let her go. They just weren't right for each other. And Veronica felt it too. At the end of the day, she deserved to find someone who felt as sure about her that Cheryl felt about Toni.

Love was a complicated emotion for Cheryl Blossom, but it wasn't for Veronica Lodge.

With a chaste kiss to Cheryl's lips, Veronica said her goodbye to their brief relationship, squeezing Cheryl's hands and nodded her best wishes and blessings to the other girl.

  
"Just remember, you can't take care of the ones you love until you find yourself. And I genuinely hope she does for you what I couldn't. I hope that you find yourself with her."

Love was definitely a complicated emotion for Cheryl Blossom, but she was finally free to start her journey to loving herself enough to find it with the _right_ person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do want to say that tried to make sure I was treading lightly and made sure that Veronica had explicitly asked for consent, multiple times. Cheryl obviously is going through some deep emotional issues and maybe chose to express herself in the wrong way, but I don't want Veronica to take the fall for taking advantage of the situation. Also if anyone is still craving Cheronica as I transition into the Choni show, I can pop some flashbacks in for ya?


	8. Her Or Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reviews from you cuties has been overwhelmingly sweet! I'm so touched that you've been enjoying it so much. My heart eyes go out to all of you as we get to know vulnerable Cheryl and Toni over the next few chapters, which have been my fav to write so far! I'm literally *DYING* for you all to see what's in store for them coming up! *smooches*

After her picnic with Cheryl, Toni found herself sitting on a tattered leather couch in the shadows of the Whyte Wyrm. She had started at the bar, gulping down hops as she sulked, reminiscing on how Cheryl's hand slipped so easily into hers, how they couldn't stop smiling against each other's lips. As fast as it had hit them that there was something so smooth and natural about the way they just fit with each other, it had slipped away with a single confession. The more Toni had let the thoughts tumble through her head, the more she drank, teetering on the edge of her bar stool. Ordering one more to drown out the thrum of her aching chest, the pink haired girl slithered into a dark corner and sunk onto a couch in the corner of the bar.

It wasn't until she was about three quarters of the way through her next drink that Sweets had unnoticeably appeared and dropped down next to the petite girl, the couch cushion bouncing under his weight. She glared over towards the young man who dared interrupt her pity party. Sighing and throwing herself back into the faded leather, she mumbled something to herself about dumb boys.

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes, "Not as dumb as the girl who's got you all turned out though."

"Fuck you, Sweet Pea," Toni barked back.

He raised his hands in surrender, handing over one of the beers he had been holding. "In all fairness, you were just on cloud nine this morning. Wanna talk about it?"

Toni shook her head, in disbelief more so than in response to Sweet Pea's question. The tornado that had been Cheryl Blossom in her life had blown in and ripped apart her sensibilities, finding herself shedding tears in front of her Serpent brother in the corner of the very den of the blood hungry gang. She had fought so hard to become one of them, never willingly showing weakness until this girl, this Northsider, their enemy, had completely uprooted every ounce of fortitude, leaving her helpless and broken.

"I just-- I don't know what's wrong with me, Sweets. This girl, she isn't just some _girl_."

She's _the_ girl.

Toni flicked angrily at a tear she knew she shouldn't be publicly shedding. "I'm just-- _Ugh_. I'm so frustrated because I can't fight it. I don't have control over the way she makes me feel. She.. She just.."

"- _-Cheryl._ " Sweet Pea said matter-of-factly, nodding surely, signaling to Toni that he wasn't going to freak out on her. "You can say her name, Topaz."

It was the first time either of them had officially acknowledged fully the Romeo and Juliet love story of the two girls from opposite sides of the track. Their families, or rather their entire communities, had been at war with each other for all of time it seemed. But opposite of what Toni had been expecting, her Serpent brother was choosing to put that aside and be there for her above being the loyal wolf in his gang, but to be loyal to her, as a brother.

"Yeah. _Cheryl_ ," Toni acknowledged. "It's like, when I'm with her, we aren't just South versus the North. It isn't like we have to be aware of the boundaries created by where we grew up and who we were destined to be. It feels like all of that was just a battlefield to keep us from finding each other. It feels like all of that aside, we were just meant to be in each other's lives."

Sweet Pea watched the way Toni's eyes lit up, talking about the mortal enemy of the Southside, knowing he had made the right decision to stand by her and not chastise her for choosing someone that could crumble the very livelihood of their Southside family. He could tell that it wasn't something Toni would choose specifically to cause destruction, but rather something she _couldn't_ choose which was making this so dangerous.

"So? I'm confused. If you're so sure about her, why are you drunk out of your mind crying about it?"  
Toni chuckled at the irony of it all. Yes, she was sure there was something undeniable forming between she and Cheryl, yet she was probably off right now, snuggling comfortably in her Northside life with some Northside girl.

"She's--" The female Serpent shook her head, thinking about how she wanted to just spill it all. To cry to Sweets that it was so unfair, that she knew Cheryl felt the way she did, but still she wasn't good enough, that she would still always be the Southside girl who couldn't offer the things someone like Cheryl Blossom required.

_There's someone else._

It wasn't her place to speak on Cheryl and Veronica's relationship. Hell, Toni didn't even know to the full extent of what was even going on between them. The thought of just how serious it could be made the Serpent shake in frustration all over again. Instead, Toni decided to offer the less abrasive truth, a cold, resentful tone in her voice.

"She's got to figure out her own shit."

Sweet Pea had recognized that it was all the pink haired girl was going to give him and he wished to comply, not prodding further than the girl was willing to go. He accepted it and clinked his beer bottle with hers, taking a swig before patting her on the back.

* * *

Jughead clunked down the stairs into the Whyte Wyrm, nodding around at some of the other Serpents who had been chatting amongst each other. He scanned the room, looking for someone in his inner circle, finding some in the back corner of the bar. He paced up to his two friends, a smile wide on his dopey face. His grin faded, noticing that Toni had clearly been crying and Sweet Pea had an uncharacteristic soft look on his face, smoothing circles on the back of the girl's Serpent jacket.

"What the hell?" Jughead looked at Sweet Pea incredulously.

Sweet Pea instinctively straightened up, pulling his hand away from Toni's back to rest on his knee, leaning forward in a protective posture as Jughead stood in front of them. Toni looked between the two boys, clearly getting ready to puff up their chests at each other.

"What's going on here?" Jughead questioned again.

"We were just talking, Jug." Toni replied, confused at his sudden show of masculinity towards their Serpent brother.

"And obviously he's upsetting you, Toni."

Sweet Pea stood, rolling his eyes, knowing where FP's sons aggression was stemming. "Dude, chill. She's _fine_."

"Then why was she crying, Sweets?"

Jughead was not only upset that Sweet Pea had seemingly caused Toni some turmoil, but that he wasn't the one looped in. Toni was the closest of the Serpents to him and it bothered him that she was deciding to confide in someone other than him. Feeling the bile rise in his throat at how protective the other boy was being over Toni, he shoved the taller boy on the shoulder out of anger, earning a growl from Sweet Pea.

"Back off, Jug," Sweet's fist balling into a fist. "I mean it."

"Jughead, seriously, stop," Toni called weakly.

The hotheaded boy disregarded both of their warnings, shoving Sweet Pea again, harder this time. Sweet Pea's body swayed at the force of the shove, squaring his shoulders back up to make his presence strong and tall again. His teeth were gritted, arms tense in the face of Jughead who didn't look like he was going to back down.

"Come on, tough guy. You're tough enough to prey on a girl but you won't stand up to me?" Jughead's voice cracked, feeling the emotion rush out.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Sweets spat back.

"You're right! Because neither one of you wants to admit that you've got something going on." Jughead lunged at Sweet Pea, tackling him into a table and cocking his arm back to take a swing at his face. Fangs jumped in, knocking Jughead to the side, FP's sons strike hitting the table instead. Fangs was able to wrestle Jughead upright again, pulling him away from the taller boy.

"Jug, what the _fuck?!_ " Toni yelled, grasping for Sweet Pea's arm. "Are you okay?"

Sweet Pea just tugged his arm from Toni's gently before stepping up close to Jughead's face.

"You're a fucking coward, Jones. Just because she doesn't love you doesn't mean you can take it out on me." And with that Sweets pushed past the boys and marched out of the bar, Fangs shaking his head at Jughead before following his friend outside as well.

The look of disgust on Toni's face made Jughead's stomach drop. He turned to address her, breath still heavy from the scuffle. "So if it's not him, who is it?"

Toni took in the possessive look in Jughead's eyes, feeling her body tighten in her own anger. "First of all, Jughead, I'm not some weak girl that can be preyed on, like I'm some fucking trophy to fight for. I saw the way you looked at me that night when I walked off with Cheryl. I can make my own damn decisions. I'm a Serpent, just like you, and you don't own me. Second of all, it's none of your business if I don't want it to be."

Realization struck the Serpent, hearing Toni mention the night at Thistlehouse.

"It's her, isn't it? It's _Cheryl_." Jughead raised his voice, venom seeping from his lips, "You're a fucking traitor, Toni. I've been here for you while the Northside attacked us, our school, our homes, and you're turning your back on me. Are you kidding? You think she's really going to want _you?_ She's never going to choose someone that doesn't have money or reputation. She's a disgusting representation of what wealth and ignorance is. And you're choosing _that?"_

"Don't talk about her like that," Toni growled her warning, feeling how deep those very concerns had been in ingrained in the back of her mind. Angry tears were swelling in Toni's eyes, forcefully arguing for Jughead to understand where she was coming from. "And I'm not turning my back on _anyone_. Sweets-- He gets it. He trusts me. He isn't judging me or forcing me to pick one side or the other. I'm a _Serpent_. And I want _Cheryl_. That's as simple as it needs to be."

Jughead crossed his arms over his chest in defiance, not wanting to hear any more. He could feel the hurt churn in his stomach, but his anger got the best of him, uttering a final ultimatum towards the girl. If he couldn't have Toni, no one could.

"You have to choose, Toni. It's _her,_ " he spat the word directed at the idea of Toni with the Blossom with more venom than he had before, "or it's _us_."

* * *

If Toni hadn't felt like she was alone after walking away from Cheryl, she certainly felt it after leaving Jughead and the Whyte Wyrm. FP had left the Serpents in Jughead's hands in the midst of his faux retirement, which in a mess of ego's and pain, was leaving Toni on the bubble of being pushed out for falling for someone outside of their community.

Sweet Pea and Fangs both weren't in either of their trailers, Toni spiraling out of control, having no where to turn in her most desperate time of need. She was in fact, all alone as the sun was starting to set. She steered her bike down the gravel of the Southside and let her motorcycle idle down the street from the Wyrm, waiting for Jughead's bike to disappear before finally cutting the engine behind the dumpsters out back. She clutched her bag close to her as she crept through the back door to slither into the grungy bathroom undetected. She sat in a stall, crying until she had nothing left in her to give. The clinks and bustle of the bar were long gone, sitting in the pitch black, defeated. Using the flashlight on her phone, Toni washed the smeared mascara from her eyes and looked into the cracked mirror at her even more broken reflection.

She navigated her way back to the same couch she had been sitting earlier in the evening, tossing her bag to the floor and laying down on the cool leather. With winter quickly approaching and the Wyrm having no heat with no occupants, Toni shivered and curled into herself, pulling her phone out to see that there were no notifications. Yeah, she was alone.

She scrolled through her contacts, clicking on Cheryl's name. Her thumb hovered over the call button, tears blurring the screen before she could select her options. Even as cold and alone as she felt, she couldn't keep running back to Cheryl to make things better. She deserved more than to be just an option; Toni deserved to be the only option amongst so many other distractions. The girl clicked her phone screen off and tucked herself into the smallest ball possible and willed herself to fall asleep as the temperature in the room and her heart dropped even lower.

It had felt like Toni had barely fallen into her slumber when the rattle of keys and the sound of a heavy wooden door slammed closed woke her. Despite the ache in her joints from shivering all night, the small girl hurried to grab her bag and sneak out towards the back door before being discovered. She tugged her Serpent jacket closer to her, the early morning nip in the air piercing right through her as she roared her bike to life. Knowing she was in no condition to go to school and face anyone at all, she rode out of the Southside to the park she and Cheryl had been during their picnic. She strolled out to a random tree, squatting to lower herself to the dirt, leaning her back against the sturdy bark and closing her eyes again. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and fell asleep again, exhaustion on it's never-ending chase to get the best of her.

* * *

For Betty, the absence of Toni by Jughead's side at school had been a rare and welcome one, albeit it being selfish. She had noticed he was in one of those moods, grunting and being closed off instead of partaking in conversation like they usually did. She didn't dare ask if it had anything to do with the missing girl, instead batting her eyelashes and resting her hand on him subtly to try to get him to pay attention to her. She was fully engrossed with a monolog about her newest edition of the Blue and Gold, asking rhetorically it seemed, Jughead's opinion on the piece. He'd just shrugged, mumbling that he hadn't had a chance to read it yet. Archie looked up over a mouthful of sandwich, shocked that Jughead was being so dismissive of their blonde friend. Especially after suspiciously choosing to sit with them at lunch instead of with the Serpents, which was more often than not, where he congregated to discuss surely the demise of the Northside as a whole. Betty who was to busy running her mind through the next article she'd write didn't notice the way Jughead was glaring at Sweet Pea and Fangs, sitting like thugs on the table instead of their retrospective bench seats.

Cheryl too had noticed the divide of the Serpent clique and most definitely the missing piece with pink hair. She'd been sneaking lingering glances over Josie's shoulder towards the group of red, blonde, black and beanie clad heads, disappointingly still no appearance of pink anywhere. The movement of another joining their table had peaked Cheryl's interest, nodding distractedly at Josie's words, just to see it was just Kevin making his place at the table. Once the girls had finished their lack-luster lunches and she'd waved goodbye to Josie, Cheryl hung back to approach Jughead and Archie who were still sitting silently in their seats. She would have like to avoid both boys altogether, but approaching the Serpents alone wasn't something on the Blossom's to-do list. Smoothing nervous hands over her plaid, pleated skirt, Cheryl's heels clicked against the tile towards the two boys.

Addressing Jughead alone, Cheryl tried to keep her tone even, not wanting the panic evident in her voice.

"Is Toni with you today?"

Jughead simply looked up, pure hate in his eyes. "Does it look like she is, Cheryl?"

"Whoa, dude," Archie's eyes wide at the abrasive tone in Jughead's voice.

The redhead refused to let the piercing glare directed at her falter her questioning about Toni's whereabouts. "Well, _clearly_ , she's not. But do you know where she _is?_ " Cheryl challenged back.

Jughead stood abruptly, snatching his bag from the ground and stepping dangerously close to the smaller girl. "She's not _here_. And maybe that's because she doesn't want to see _you._ "

Cheryl's teeth clenched as Jughead stormed off, leaving Archie to glance up at her in shock. The girl sighed, collecting herself and throwing her hair over her shoulder before prancing off in the opposite direction. Had it been true, what Jughead said to her? Had Toni really not want to see Cheryl and that was the reason she wasn't at school? She pulled out her phone to question the girl herself, but the insecurity in Cheryl had stopped her. She shoved her phone back into her purse, feeling the deep regret of ever letting Toni get away from her in the first place wash over her.

Maybe this was it. Maybe it got back to Toni that she and Veronica had been together again. Maybe Toni had sent Jughead to make it clear that she wasn't coming back, that she had finally made up her mind and chose to leave her and the Northside alone for good.

A little over a mile down the road, Cheryl had no idea that those very thoughts were running through Toni's mind, laying in the very grass the two had been in just yesterday, the rays of sunshine drying up the tears that fell from closed eyes. She had a a choice to make, love, or family.

Her or us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm heading into a treacherous work week, so updates will be staggered so I can maintain new chapters without too much of a lag! 
> 
> As always, reviews pump life into these Choni veins and I'm always open to suggestions and feedback!


	9. Goodnight, My Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're in an active hurricane warning and we've got about 36 hours until this bitch rolls through Hawaii, which is more than likely to knock out electricity at some point. I'm updating today in case the winds and rain knock power out tomorrow and hopefully it'll pass by Friday evening and I can get another chapter up then for you as well! 
> 
> This is a nice chunky chapter to hold ya over until the storm passes.. literally. See ya on the other side of Hurricane Lane, babies!

It had been four more days since Cheryl had confronted Jughead in the cafeteria and come Monday, the girl was still no where to be found. Over the weekend, the Blossom had secluded herself from everyone, shooting her bow for hours upon hours, wanting to physically exhaust herself in hopes that it would stop the growing pain in her chest over losing Toni. She had done exactly as the smaller girl had asked, she'd gotten her closure with Veronica and was moving on, but as the girl had been missing the last few days, Cheryl had no way of telling Toni of so. She knew that it didn't mean they would be able to seamlessly jump into a relationship together, but it meant that they could truly invest the uninterrupted time that they needed in each other. But at the lack of communication with the other girl, Cheryl had continued to wander down the slippery slopes in her mind that she had in fact been loveless, settling into the darkness of a mind only a Blossom could own. Toni had probably finally realized that and chose to banish herself from Cheryl's life completely.

Back at school, Toni's seat in front of her remained empty and Cheryl couldn't bear the thought of never being able to speak to the girl again, let alone allow her to give up on all of the opportunities she'd be giving up by never returning to Riverdale High. She tapped out a text during the first class of the day, just letting Toni know she was thinking about her and that she'd hoped they would get to talk soon. By lunch, no response had come and an uneasy feeling in Cheryl's gut told her that even though Toni was probably still upset with her, that the lack of response meant something wasn't right. She sent another text to follow up asking if the girl was okay, noticing that the first text had still gone unread. Despite not offering an easy welcome to Riverdale towards the Serpents in general, the redhead had to know how to get in contact with Toni, or at least breathe again knowing she was okay. Cheryl had sucked up all of her nerves and stopped Fangs after school who was mounting his bike to leave for the day.

"Um, excuse me. Fogarty, is it?"

Fangs tipped his lips into an amused half smile, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Fangs. What can I do ya for?"

Cheryl's lips pursed, trying to keep the disgust at his gesture at bay. "I was just wondering if you happened to know Toni's whereabouts? She hasn't been to school since Wednesday."

His smile faltered, quickly melting into slight confusion. "Hey, Pea? C'mere," Fangs nodded the taller Serpent over and then at Cheryl.

"Looking for Topaz. Says she hasn't been around since last week."

"What?" Sweet Pea responded in genuine confusion. "Wait, you don't know where she is?"

"Well, why would I be inquiring if I had already known?" Cheryl snapped impatiently.

Fangs shook his head in a circle, trying to keep up with the revolving questions.

"I haven't seen her since Jughead chewed her out at the Wyrm last week. I kinda just assumed she was with you," Sweet Pea had admitted guiltily. He felt the pang of guilt hit him hard in the gut, not even texting Toni to see if she was alright after what had gone down with Jughead at the Wyrm the other night. "We need to find her."

Sweet Pea tugged his phone out of his jacket pocket, immediately dialing Toni's number.

_"Hey, this is Toni, probably not interested in talking to you, but leave a mess--"_

Sweet Pea hung up and dialed again, hearing the same message as soon as the phone call connected.

"Voicemail."

Panic started to seep deep into Cheryl's chest, whipping out her phone to dial Toni too.

_"Hey, this is Toni, probably not interested in talking to you, but leave a message or whatever."_

"Her phone's off," Cheryl's stomach dropped at the realization that something was definitely very, very wrong. Tears started to seep from Cheryl's eyes, hearing that voice, Toni's voice. It was so soft, so feminine, but there was an edge to it that always managed to grip at Cheryl's own dark heart.

"Hey," Sweet Pea grimaced as he offered a tentative hand to tap Cheryl's shoulder uncomfortably. It was one thing to comfort Toni, who he'd known forever, but to extend that to someone who absolutely loathed him was so far beyond his comfort zone. "We'll find her."

Cheryl burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Sweet Pea who staggered backwards, eyes wide, mouthing at Fangs over the girl's red hair, 'What do I do?' which just earned him a shrug and chuckle from the other Serpent. Sweets patted her back twice before prying her gently off of himself.

"My apologies, I just-- What if she's hurt? Or worse?" Cheryl's tears streamed heavily again.

"Fuck it," Sweet Pea mumbled under his breath, pulling the Northsider back into his chest, and wrapping her up in a secure hug, rubbing his hand on her back. If he and Toni's conversation had been at all the slightest bit true, the girl in his arms was just as affected as he was at Toni's sudden disappearance. And when it all boiled down, Sweets had to protect this girl like family the way Toni had talked about Cheryl being like that for her.

"Hey," he tried again softly. "Me and Fangs, we'll sweep the Southside. You check on this side, anywhere she might be. And if by seven we don't find her, meet us at the Wyrm and we'll go from there."

Cheryl nodded up at him, her lips still skewed into a frown like a child trying not to cry. Fangs had stood up and squeezed her shoulder gently. "It's gonna be okay, Red. She's tough."

* * *

The redhead had raced around the Northside like a psychopath, whipping her Impala down every street she had ever known for two hours before stopping to cry in the parking lot of Pop's. In her frantic search for the girl, she had come to increasingly understand that she didn't know Toni in the capacity that she thought she did. Cheryl was drowning, anxiety taking over at failing at something she wanted so desperately didn't want to lose, frustrated that this was something even a Blossom couldn't figure out how to win. Losing Toni already felt worse than losing her father, losing her home at Thornhill, and losing her wealth combined. As it started to rain down on the canvas hood of her convertible, the Vixen realized she hadn't had a single clue about where Toni would run to in her time of need. She didn't know what made her feel safe, or who she'd likely be with if it weren't her Serpent brothers. She cried desperately to herself, thinking back to just last week when they pressed their lips against each other's, so carefree, so _happy_ , under the sun in the park.

_The park._

Cheryl twisted the key in her ignition violently, feeling the power of the Chevrolet jolt to life. She sped off to the last place she hadn't searched, screeching to a halt at the empty parking lot. She got out, frustration growing into anger, and screamed into the evening air as raindrops stained her face, just wanting to find the girl and tell her how sorry she had been. To wrap her up and let her know she'd never be alone again. Just before she'd given up completely and reached for her car door, Cheryl noticed the fresh tire tracks in the mud below her. She ran after them as fast as her legs would take her, finally seeing them fade into the pavement leading towards the Southside. She nearly lost her breath, sprinting back to her car and sliding into the driver's seat, soaking wet and shivering. She peeled out of the gravel lot and onto the road, not even giving it a second thought that she'd be entering enemy territory and all alone. The Impala came to a skidding stop in the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm, just as Sweet Pea and Fangs were getting off of their bikes. Cheryl swung her door open and yelled for their attention.

"She's here! Somewhere! I saw the tire marks leaving our park--"

Fangs turned to look at her through the heavy drops of rain, jogging closer to Cheryl's car.

"Wait, look!" He pointed, moving around the hood of red car to get a closer look behind the dumpsters around the back of the bar. "It's her bike!"

"Toni!" Sweet Pea boomed, sprinting around the other two to find the girl huddled on the ground next to some discarded trash bags, under the only dry spot against the wall.

"Toni, where have you been?" He picked the frail girl up in his arms, wrapping her up as her teeth chattered against his chest. When she didn't answer right away, he noticed her lips were turning blue in the cold, her clothes sopping wet. "We need to get you inside. Come on."

Cheryl watched in horror, Sweet Pea carrying a limp Toni in his arms and heading for the door of the Wyrm. She quickly grabbed a blanket and a spare change of Vixen practice sweats and followed them inside. Fangs had cleared a section in the back for them to sit, Toni still chattering against Sweet Pea's tall frame. Cheryl held out the change of clothes and mumbled timidly, atypical of her normal gravitas,"You should get out of those clothes."

Toni reached out weakly, barely hanging on to the clothing as her arm dropped back to her side and she stumbled towards the bathroom. Cheryl swept in, instinctually wrapping her arm around the freezing girl's waist and helping her through the door. Once they were alone, Cheryl silently smoothed a thumb over Toni's cheek, tears in her eyes as she took in the blue lips and the slightly sunken in cheeks of the girl. "Here, let me help you."

The Blossom removed Toni's jacket, hanging it on a hook behind the door, then gently lifted her arms to peel off the wet v-neck that was under it. She replaced it with the Vixen's baseball tee and moved to unbutton Toni's ripped jeans. Her teeth got caught in between her lips, struggling to remove the wet material from Toni's toned legs. They were covered in goose bumps as the night chill swept over her bare legs. Cheryl helped Toni tug on the sweats, embroidered with a maroon 'R' on the hip.

"Still cold?" Cheryl whispered. Toni nodded, silent still, teeth still slightly clacking against each other. The redhead smoothed her hands up and down over Toni's arms to warm her, eventually tugging her into a hug. "Oh, my sweet. Where have you been?"

Toni let Cheryl rub her back and warm her up enough to finally stop her shivering. She tucked her face against Cheryl's neck, her cold nose nuzzling against the warm skin it found.

"Here, mostly. After everyone leaves. Then I kinda just ride around and hang out in the park until it gets dark. But I ran out of gas money yesterday, so I slept in the park last night and had just enough in the tank to get back here when it started raining. My phone died this morning-- I didn't have anywhere else to go."

Cheryl hugged the small girl tighter, feeling the tears prick at her eyes at the thought of Toni out in the cold alone.

_You could've come home to me._

She kept quiet for fear that if she spoke now, she'd have a full breakdown and right now she needed to be there for the small, shivering girl wrapped in her arms. Toni's stomach growled loudly causing Cheryl to lean back and look at Toni's face again.

"When was the last time you ate, TT?"

"I had a snickers bar for breakfast yesterday," came an embarrassed reply. Cheryl sighed and pulled her in for another hug.

"Let's go and get you something to eat, shall we?"

They left the bathroom to let Sweet Pea and Fangs know they were going to Pop's to feed Toni, the redhead quickly filling them in on Toni's whereabouts. Toni had then recounted how Jughead had told her she needed to choose the Northside or the Serpents, and that was why she didn't come back and stay with either one of them after the first night. The new news Cheryl hadn't been privy to her before, caused a sharp gasp, initiating a slow heartbreak in her chest, feeling curious eyes start to pick her out of the group of three other Serpent's.

Neither one of them seemed angry with her, the Northsider, so she invited them to follow the girls to Pop's where they could finish their conversation in a less tense atmosphere, when none other than FP's son himself came thudding down the stairs into the bar. Sweet Pea instantly made a beeline for Jughead, Fangs tugging at his jacket to keep it from escalating too far.

  
"How could you do that to her? You're supposed to be her _family!"_ Sweet Pea roared in Jughead's face, Fangs holding him back just enough so he couldn't get ahold of the smaller boy. "Do you know where she's been? Where she's been sleeping?!"

Cheryl could feel her heart breaking again at the thought of the precious girl having to sleep in the cold, miserable and alone. She thought about how Toni had to spend the last few days, struggling to find something to eat with only a few dollars to her name.

"We found her nearly freezing to death on the ground next to garbage, Jones!"

Fangs gave Sweet Pea a final tug, giving Cheryl room to step in and give him a piece of her mind instead.

"You're a _vile_ human being, Jughead Jones. You _knew_ she was out there in the cold, starving, and you did _nothing_." Cheryl could feel the anger bubbling in her chest, feeling the urge to strike him in the very way she had told both Veronica and Toni she would never stand for. She guessed she'd never been tested to the point of seeing the benefit of physically hurting someone until now, reliving the thoughts of Toni all alone and hopeless. She tightened her hand into a fist and stepped forward.

"Cheryl," Toni whispered, tugging the redhead's stiffening arm back. When the redhead made no movement to back down, Toni tried again. " _Cheryl_ , look at me."

Toni's small hand had cupped the Vixen's, and she gently tugged her back. Cheryl reluctantly tore her eyes off of Jughead's and tried to slow her angry breaths.

" _Look_ ," Toni used her free hand to caress Cheryl's cheek, pulling her chin so their eyes locked on each others.

"I'm okay. I'm right here." Toni murmured softly, smoothing her thumb back and forth over Cheryl's cheek, trying to calm her down. "Don't do it. It's not worth it."

Fangs had nudged Sweet Pea past Jughead, telling him that reassuringly that 'They've got it' and kept his hand on the back of his neck, leading him towards the door.

"Some fucking leader," Fangs muttered over his shoulder before they hit the staircase and climbed their way out of the basement bar.

Cheryl turned back to look at Jughead, complete disgust still written all over her face. Toni ran her fingers over Cheryl's knuckles, intertwining their hands and urging the Vixen to get going too. "Come on, Cher. If this is what it means to be a Serpent, I don't want to be a part of it anymore. Let's go."

It took one more tug for Cheryl to finally move, but her stand off with Jughead was one that could have easily rivaled the one of Sweet Pea or Fangs. As Toni started walking off without so much as a single word towards FP's son, Cheryl shook her head and turned to follow the girl out back into the rain.

* * *

The two boys on their bikes followed Cheryl's cherry red convertible to the Chocklit Shoppe on the Northside, shaking out their wet hair once they stepped under the coverage of the diner. Cheryl had chosen a corner booth away from the rattle of the other patrons. She had told them all what her absolute favorite cheat foods were but to order anything and everything they wanted, on her. They exchanged looks, disbelieving her generosity, but with a sure nod from the redhead, they excitedly scanned over the menu and pointed out all the things they wanted to try, Toni's hand squeezing Cheryl's under the table in gratitude.

Despite still being cold outside, Cheryl ordered a strawberry milkshake and stared in awe at how the three Serpents ravaged through their burgers, fries and onion rings. It warmed her heart, being able to watch them for the first time interact together. It would have been revolting to see anyone else do it, but it was positively adorable the way that Toni seemed to be one of the guys, laughing with a mouth full of burger at one of Fang's stupid impressions of Sweet Pea, and Sweet Pea retaliating by smashing an onion ring in the other Serpent's milkshake. It was almost like they had their own language, finishing each other's thoughts and movements; It was like Cheryl was finally witnessing what a being in a family was really like.

They spent the next hour apologizing to Toni for not taking better care of her and swearing that they'd do everything they could to protect her from then on out. Toni had graciously accepted without a second of hesitation and apologized for scaring them and not coming to them when she needed help. She thanked Cheryl too, for being the one to notice she was missing in the first place, tenderly pressing her lips to the redheads cheek. Cheryl blushed furiously, both boys' eyes on her as she and Toni shared such an intimate moment. Sweet Pea finally broke the awkward tension, nodding at Cheryl.

"So, this is like super weird for me, or whatever, but Toni is my fucking sister, so long as you never hurt her, consider yourself protected as well. At least by me and Fangs," he nudged the boy next to him with onion ring still in his mouth.

"Yeah, Red. If Toni loves you, we love you."

"Oh my God, _Fangs!_ " Toni slapped her forehead in utter embarrassment, like a daughter being called out by her older brother in front of the girl she liked. Cheryl blushed furiously again, caught in the middle of the 'L' bomb explosion.

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes and shoved his friend, "Dude."

"What?" Fangs questioned, oblivious.

"They haven't said the 'L' word yet," Sweet Pea whispered into Fang's ear, a wave of understanding washing over his face.

Fangs just shrugged and popped another onion ring into his mouth. "Oh, my bad. I thought it was pretty obvious."

" _Fogarty!_ " Toni yelled, cheeks flushed, eyes wide as she pounded the butt of her fork against the table.

The three Serpents rolled with laughter as they flicked food at each other, Cheryl feeling like she had finally recognized what love should look like. She sipped her milkshake and looked over at Toni with hearts in her eyes, knowing for sure now that this could be the beginning of a love she'd never been able to know before.

* * *

They had all simmered down at the completion of their meal, Cheryl as promised picking up the tab and awkwardly one-arm hugging Sweet Pea and Fangs goodbye, keeping Toni's small hand in her own the entire time. The boys had looked at their bikes, trying to decide which one would take Toni back with them to the Southside when Cheryl looked down at Toni and decided to intervene.

"She can stay with me."

The boys looked over at Toni expectantly, a small blush on her cheeks as she nodded that it would be fine. They then chuckled and wiggled their eyebrows at her, earning a swift knock to each of their stomachs before pushing them off towards their bikes.

"Thank you, guys, seriously," she called after them as they mounted their bikes. Fangs saluted to her and blew an over the top kiss at her and Sweet Pea just rolled his eyes and nodded at the two girls. The pair packed themselves neatly into Cheryl's car and Toni waved out the widow at the boys, turning left onto the road as they turned right.

The girls sat quietly, Cheryl's hand gently laying on top of Toni's as they listened to the quiet crooning of an oldies station playing on the radio. The blow of the heater drowning out the deep sighs of contentment Cheryl was making when Toni flipped her hand over and laced their fingers together. It had been the longest week of both their lives it seemed, but driving down the road to the last house on the right, time seemed to stop completely as they both sunk back into the relief of being together again.

Upon their arrival to Thistlehouse, Cheryl had parked her car and led Toni to the door which she unlocked and closed behind her. She took Toni's hand once more and led her upstairs where she began to run Toni a hot bath with lavender scented oil and lit candles around the tub to set the mood for relaxation and recuperation. She had left the smaller girl with kiss to her cheek and a fresh bath towel, telling her to take as long as she needed before throwing Toni's clothes in the wash and retreating to another bathroom to have a shower herself. Once Cheryl was done and wrapped in a bath robe, she came to check on Toni, combing her hair as the Serpent traced her fingers over the bath oil clouded water, causing ripples to cascade around her knees poking out of the water. Cheryl inhaled, the lavender calming her as she took in the beautiful sight of Toni's shoulders above water, glistening with water droplets. She finished combing her hair, moving to sit behind the tub and nudging the girl forward in the water so she could wash her hair. The Blossom poured water over Toni's tilted head, squeezing shampoo into her palms before lathering it into wet pink strands. Cheryl's fingers scratched lightly against Toni's scalp, smiling to herself as the Serpent hummed in contentment. She rinsed Toni's hair and applied conditioner, combing her fingers through pink hair and splashing with the girl playfully before rinsing that out too.

"Okay, out, before it gets too cold," Cheryl scolded softly. She'd left Toni alone to wrap her body in the bath towel she'd left and pick out a shirt and a pair of sleep shorts for the girl to sleep in. Fighting against her desire for the smaller girl, the Blossom turned her back as Toni changed and pulled back the comforter for the tiny girl to crawl into. She folded the duvet back over and began to tuck Toni in when she heard a timid, vulnerable voice question her.

"You're not going to stay with me?"

Cheryl had looked at the girl with such soft eyes, Toni melted and reached out to pull her closer. "I didn't know if you'd want me to, you know.. after the park."

Toni sighed solemnly and pulled back the sheets to let Cheryl in. "Sure, we have a lot to talk through, but tonight I just want to not be alone."  
Cheryl's heart broke for the millionth time that day, crawling in beside the tinier girl in the smallest attempt to try and make it right. Toni immediately scooted impossibly close to the warm body and snuggled her face into Cheryl's neck.

"You smell so good," Toni mumbled sleepily against Cheryl's skin.

Cheryl pressed a kiss to Toni's temple and wrapped her arms around the pink haired girl. "I'm so glad you're alright, Toni. I don't know what I would ever do without you."

Toni smiled, pecking Cheryl's neck and pulling her closer with a hum into her skin. They closed their eyes easily for the first time in days, both secure in the fact that they were both safe, protective arms wrapped tightly around each other.

"Goodnight, my sweet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So maybe Toni won't have to choose between love and family after all..............
> 
> OR WILL SHE?


	10. If She'd Be Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Downgraded to a tropical storm just after it hit us, but I was staying with my best friend so I wasn't home all week anyway. Anyway, I have some major catching up to do, but here's another one for ya :)

Cheryl was an early bird, as some would describe, rising before the sun to partake in her usual morning routine. She'd put on her morning tea and do her daily yoga as the sun rose as to not taint her pale porcelain skin. She'd stretch out any tightening muscles before heading inside to the gym, running on the treadmill to work up a sweat, or riding the stationary bike to tone her perfectly sculpted backside. She'd sip her tea as her body cooled, followed promptly with a cold shower to tighten her pores. Her tedious skin care routine was usually reserved for the evening, but in the mornings, she'd moisturize before painting on the well known Blossom face, more often than not, popping with cherry or some shade of red lipstick. Even in sickness or poor weather, it was very unlike the redhead to skip part of her routine, let alone forgo it altogether.

But the morning after she brought Toni home, Cheryl couldn't find the will to untangle herself from the tan skinned appendages that were wrapped so deeply in her own. Her internal clock, regardless of how late she stayed up or how exhausted she might be, had her alert by 5AM, listening to the soft breaths of the small girl, studying the rise and fall of her chest. She carefully slid one of her arms out from under Toni's and reached over the sleeping girl's body to pick up her phone which had been resting on the nightstand opposite of her. Toni shifted slightly, mumbling something about burgers and sweethearts before instinctively tucking herself back into Cheryl's neck and tightening her hold on the redhead.

Cheryl positively _melted_.

The early bird turned off the previous alarm that had been set and chose a new time, dangerously close to when the girls would have to actually leave Thistlehouse to get to school, but pressing a kiss to Toni's forehead, Cheryl's anxiety over the matter quickly faded. She flopped her phone back onto the pillow behind Toni's head and closed her eyes again, scratching her nails over the girl's back as she drifted back into her slumber.

When finally Cheryl awoke again, it was partly due to the alarm going off, but mostly because Toni had begun to uncomfortably thrash in her arms, whining in time with the sound of the alarm.

"Make it stooooop," Toni whined, trying her best to cover her head with a pillow.

Cheryl huffed and rolled her eyes, taking the pillow from Toni's hands and moved her body away from the Serpents, Toni pouting and reaching out for Cheryl to come back. "Enough, TT. I've already allowed us to sleep in far longer than was acceptable."

The Blossom rose out of bed in an elegance that should have been illegal for how early in the morning it had been, Toni's eyes transfixed on her perfect red locks as Cheryl sat at her vanity to comb them out and curl them into her signature, fiery red waves. Cheryl caught a glimpse of Toni in the mirror, spying on her from her lazy spot in bed, chuckling despite herself at the goofy grin plastered on Toni's face.

"I mean it, Toni. Up. _Now_ ," Cheryl's tone was firm, but there was love and amusement laced there as well, Toni sighing dramatically and falling out of bed with much less grace than the Blossom had.

Cheryl had placed an extra toothbrush in the smaller girl's hand and shooed her toward the en suite, going to collect Toni's clothing from the laundry room. When she returned, she leaned against the doorframe, watching as Toni carefully braided a crown into her hair. She was just _so_ beautiful, fingers moving with ease, lips slightly ajar in concentration. Cheryl set Toni's neatly folded clothes on the counter next to the sink and wrapped her arms around her petite waist as Toni finished her artwork. Cheryl reached a gentle hand up to Toni's chin, turning the girl's face towards her own to further inspect her work. Her eyes darted down to the pink tongue that had teased out to wet Serpent lips, Cheryl sighing longingly to kiss them the way that had done in the park. She knew though that they had so much to work through before going down that road again, choosing to kiss Toni's cheek instead.

"Good morning, beautiful," Cheryl mumbled against Toni's cheek, kissing her way gently down Toni's neck and breathing in, the faint scent of lavender still on Toni's skin. The spice that was uniquely Toni's had also filled Blossom nostrils, overwhelming the redhead and causing her to breathe out her frustrated restraint and step back.

"They're fresh," Cheryl nodded down at the pile of the Serpents tattered jeans and faded v-neck. A loose finger hooked into the underwear that Toni had shed before getting into the tub last night, the redhead letting the black lace swing from her fingertip as she sauntered backwards away from the girl. "And they're _hot_."

Toni blushed, snagging her panties from Cheryl's teasing finger, "Get out of here, _tease_."

Cheryl tilted her head back in laughter as Toni closed the door on her, a deep red flush on the Serpent's face. "We have ten minutes to get out of here and grab coffee before school. Don't touch yourself for too long in there, Topaz."

Cheryl squeezed her legs together at the sound of Toni faking moans and calling out her name from behind the door, internally scolding herself for teasing the girl who had in turn made the redhead feel like she was the one who was going to be hot and bothered for the rest of the day.

* * *

On the way to school, the girls hadn't really talked about Toni staying at Thistlehouse, spending all night wrapped in each other, or about what had happened in the park, least of all what Cheryl had done in response to Toni telling her to work through her shit with Veronica. They spent their time idly playing with each other's fingers in line at the Starbucks drive thru, also a miracle considering Riverdale was so behind the times.

Over the crumbs of her scone, Toni had finally mustered up the courage to start the conversation. "What are we doing, Cheryl?"

"Finish your food before you speak, TT," Cheryl chastised, eyes on the road as she sipped her almond milk latte.

Toni simply rolled her eyes and wiped the back of her hand over her mouth, Cheryl sighing impatiently before handing her a napkin. Toni huffed back, snatching it from red fingernails, just as impatiently.

"Cheryl, I'm being _serious_. What are we doing?"

"I also, am _serious_ , about your manners, tossing crumbs around this mint condition '61 Chevy like a five year old."

Cheryl's tone was edgy, and Toni could sense the root cause was discomfort about where this conversation might lead. She could have easily let the insecurity of being shot down shy her away from pushing for answers, but Toni had been on the loose and in her own head for days, finally finding reprieve in the answer that Cheryl had cared enough to come looking for her.

Toni puffed up her cheeks, blowing out a significant exhale, remaining calm and patient, even as Cheryl got testy with her.

"Cher," Toni tried again, reaching out to rest her hand on the tights covering the redhead's thigh. "I want to talk about it," Toni's tone adamant.

Cheryl's stomach churned, having nowhere to run, inside the confines of her car, now stopped at the final stoplight before the school. She wasn't nervous about telling Toni she spoke with Veronica, she wasn't even nervous telling the girl that she was ready to resume getting to know her in a more than friendly way. But the look in Toni's eyes when Cheryl had announced that Veronica had kissed her, it made the Blossom sick to her stomach to think she'd eventually have to face that again, worse more over, having to utter the truth, that she let Veronica touch her until she had the raven-haired girl's name on her lips, all while Toni slept out in the cold, alone and wondering. She couldn't bear the thought of breaking the vulnerable girl who had just last night been so scared to sleep alone. She'd lose her again. And Cheryl, more so than not wanting to hurt Toni, selfishly couldn't tell her because she would not lose her again.

"I don't think this is the appropriate setting for such a discussion, Toni," Cheryl replied coldly, pulling into the parking lot of the high school.

Frustration was quickly fading to make way at the anger on Toni's face. Sure she had no ownership or even no right to push the Vixen, but hadn't they started to chip away at the walls that were built up around themselves? Hadn't they both felt the longing to be connected again after such a dramatic turn of events over the last few days? Or was it just the same old song and dance? Cheryl wasn't ready to let go of Veronica. She wasn't ready to admit to her friends that she was letting the Southsider slum with her, remembering the way Cheryl's hand had recoiled from hers when they had been discovered in Pop's last week.

Toni scoffed, realizing just as they pulled up to the high school that Cheryl had self-proclaimed she owned, the Blossom's change in demeanor. "You're right. I'm only any good to you when the peering eyes of your clique aren't within sight. Thanks for breakfast."

"Toni, wait!"

The pink haired girl hurried out of the car and shut the door with force, not looking back as she stormed off into the building leaving Cheryl's chest aching yet again. Toni had misconstrued her reluctance to talk about what was going on between them as Cheryl's lack for wanting more for them. She hadn't just had the courage to tell her it was because she wanted more that she just wasn't ready to address it. Cheryl leaned her head back against the headrest and shut her eyes with frustration. First bell rang out as far as the parking lot and the Vixen groaned in irritation that not only was she already late to school, but she would she have to sit behind Toni in first period and stop herself from breaking down and telling Toni everything that she already had the opportunity to in the car ride there.

Toni sat, stiff as a board in front of Cheryl, not bothering to once look back over her shoulder every single time the Blossom had cleared her throat. It had caused a few heads to look back at her by about the fifth time she had done it, snapping a vicious 'What?' at them when they did. That, at least, had caused a reaction from Toni, scoffing and shaking her head to herself as she closed her notebook and reached for her bag, not even bothering to address their teacher as she stood and left the classroom quietly. Cheryl began to pack her things shortly after, hurrying to flit through the door that was already closing behind Toni.

"Miss Blossom?" Ms. Cary had nodded at her seat to tell her to sit back down.

"With all due respect, Ms. Cary, it has come to my attention that it is the glorious time of the season where Mother Nature herself has called upon a young fertile creature such as myself, to bestow me with the pleasure of reminding us all just how grand human life is during the creation process, or shall I say, in the absence of so."

Grunts and giggles of her peers chattered around the room, Ms. Cary hushing them before waving a dismissive hand towards Cheryl, who hummed in victory and shoulder shrugged a curtsey to the class as she turned to leave. She quickly caught a glimpse of Toni, heading out the side door towards football field, chasing after her as quickly as she could while still being deemed lady-like.

"TT!" Cheryl called after the Serpent who had just picked up her pace at the recognition of Cheryl's voice.

The redhead jogged a little faster, closing the gap between them by just a few more feet before she called again.

"Toni, please! I want to talk."

The pink haired girl slowed her pace, letting the quickness of Cheryl's breath catching up to her fall over her ears. "I'm ready to talk," Cheryl gasped, out of breath more so by the steaming look in Toni's eyes rather than from the physical exertion of her jog.

"No! _No, Cheryl_. I told you I've had enough of this stupid game you're playing. I thought after last night-- I thought things were going to be different between us, that you were ready for this, but you're still the same ignorant girl that shamed me on my first day here."

The words cut deep, Cheryl knowing that Toni was hurt, but still disappointed that the smaller girl couldn't see that she wasn't, that she was changing, because of _her_.

"I'm not," Cheryl pleaded, tears starting to form in Cheryl's eyes. "Toni, this isn't about not wanting people to see us together-- I don't _care_ about that."

"Then what is it about, Blossom? Because it sure as hell seems to me like any time we're even near this place or your _precious_ _Veronica_ , you start treating me like the Serpent I am."

"No," a strangled cry stuck in Cheryl's throat at the mention of Veronica and how much pain it was brining to her precious Toni. "It's so much worse than you can imagine," Cheryl's eyes weeping freely now. "I can't."

The pink haired girl huffed and turned her back to leave again, a cry audibly bursting from Cheryl's chest.

"Toni, I can't lose you again. _Please_ , don't leave me again," the redhead sobbed, reaching out to touch Toni.

Toni swatted Cheryl's hand away, fresh tears in her own eyes. The desperate look in Cheryl's eyes tugged at the exact way Toni was feeling, having to walk away again from the girl she wanted so badly, but her anger was too strong to give in to a show Cheryl was probably just putting on to keep her at bay.

"Then just tell me! Tell me what's _wrong_ with me! _Tell me why you don't want me!_ "

" _Nothing!_ Nothing is wrong with you! I _do!_ I want you, Toni, _please,_ " Cheryl begged.

Toni stood with a pain ridden scowl at her face, smudging her eyeliner as she wiped furiously at her eyes.

"If you want me so bad, then why won't you just talk to me? Why is it so hard for us to get _here_ , Cheryl?"

"Because you'll leave me again," Cheryl whispered, the most vulnerable Toni had ever seen her. She knew in that moment that the redhead was telling the truth, that she did want her and that more than anything Cheryl was just _terrified_ of losing her.

"Cheryl," Toni softened her voice, taking a trembling pale hand in her own. "You're going to lose me either way if you keep pushing me away. I had to trust you to take care of me when I was at my lowest, and if you can't trust _me_ , then maybe you need to reevaluate if I'm really the one you want to be with."

"I ended it-- With Veronica. She understands that it's completely over."

Toni stood in confusion at the confession the Blossom had suddenly blurted out. There had to have been more, the way Cheryl was completely overreacting by keeping _that_ a secret.

"Then why are you so upset, Cher?"

Oh. _Oh_.

Toni's chest tightened at the realization that Cheryl had been so upset because she _did_ end things with the other girl, her mind running through all of the possibilities as she opened her mouth to confirm it.

"Because you didn't want to.." Toni answered her own question.

" _What?_ TT, _no_ ," Cheryl incredulously dragging the word in a circle as her head did a whip of confusion, trying to track where Toni's mind was going, which to be very transparent was so far left, Cheryl hadn't known how she had even got there after her endless pleading for Toni to stay.

"I couldn't give her what she wanted, and she isn't what I wanted or needed. She isn't _you_."

Toni relaxed, her anxieties slowly subsiding at Cheryl's affirmation. How they had gotten so jumbled up when this could have been such an easy conversation was beyond her. They were both still just so guarded, pushing and running away from each other so easily; It seemed that their passion for each other was literally going to be their demise had they not learn to communicate properly.

Cheryl continued still, her courage growing as she squeezed Toni's hand, "But I did-- _we_ did--"

"No, Cheryl," Toni exhaled quickly, cutting off the redhead, not being able to take any more flood of emotions. "I don't need to know, okay? I've heard all I needed to."

Toni pulled Cheryl in for a tight hug, tip-toeing to place a kiss dangerously close to red stained lips. "So, where do we go from here?" Toni questioned into flowing red locks.

Cheryl stepped back, wiping the trail of tears from her cheeks and pressing a soft thumb under Toni's eye to fix her smeared eyeliner. "How about we start over? From the beginning?"

Cheryl stuck her hand out to reach for Toni's.

"Hello, I'm Cheryl Blossom."

Toni chuckled, a half smirk on her lips as she placed her hand in Cheryl's and shook it gently.

"Toni Topaz."

The girls smiled at each other before Toni spoke up again. "Has anyone ever told you that you're _insanely_ hot?"

Cheryl burst into a laugh and shook her head, tossing Toni's hand from hers as she rolled her eyes.

"You're insufferable."

_And I need you to be insufferably mine._

* * *

The girls spent the rest of the period gently cleaning up each other's faces and reapplying their makeup, Cheryl dabbing another layer of concealer under her puffy eyes, Toni's tongue stuck out in concentration to get the left wing of her eye to match her right. They had kept their voices low as the girl's locker room had quite the echo, talking about the logistics of their blossoming relationship. Out of respect for Veronica, and more so themselves, they decided to take it slow. No intimacy beyond hand holding or snuggling until they had known more about each other and had begun to learn how to communicate with one another efficiently. They wouldn't avoid each other by any means, but they'd limit how much time they spent with each other at school and at Pop's so they could spend the quality time they needed with each other without the distraction of drama or the rumor mill causing any hiccups. They'd be exclusive, _non-negotiable,_ on both ends, but they weren't quite dating yet either.

Each of the girls still had their own stuff to work through, Cheryl beginning to make amends and create actual meaningful relationships with her peers, Toni trying to make sure she still had a place in her family with the Serpents. They had collectively come to the conclusion that they needed to have healthy lives apart from each other before they could even think about starting one hand in hand together. So as second bell sounded, they hugged each other tightly and said their farewells for now, Cheryl pressing her lips to Toni's cheek, leaving bright red lip prints on her tan skin.

"Hey--," Toni warned, pointing a finger at Cheryl. The pout that followed made it absolutely excruciating for the pink haired girl not to just kiss it off her face right then and there, but she just smiled and shook her head. "Easy, Blossom."

"Sorry, TT," Cheryl pouted again, the pink tint on her cheeks evident to the Serpent as she smudged the lipstick gone. "I'll see you at lunch maybe?"

Toni nodded, eyes bright with mischief as she walked past Cheryl and gave the perfectly sculpted backside a nice little slap. Cheryl gasped in shock, chuckling incredulously at the pink haired girl who blew her a kiss and called over her shoulder before exiting the locker room, "Now we're even, Bombshell."

The day seemed to go by smoothly from there, both Toni and Cheryl in their respective classes, scribbling notes down with a new-found sense of focus now that their minds had been clear of any lingering doubts between them. They smiled at each other as they passed in the hallway, Cheryl finding the cutest note, scribbled in Toni's messy handwriting, in her locker as she tucked her books away for lunch.

 _I like when you smile, Bombshell. Lights up the whole school_  
_o.o. (no x's, yet) Toni_

Cheryl held the note close to her chest, sighing dreamily to herself when Josie startled her from her trance.

"Ooh, what's that?" The singer had made a try for the note, Cheryl blushing furiously and shoving it back in her locker quickly.

" _Oh_ ," Josie's eyes lit up in surprise. "Does Cheryl Blossom have a _secret admirer?_ "

"Nonsense, Josie. Can't a girl just appreciate a kind sentiment without drawing out the rumblings of the masses?" Cheryl could feel that her neck was still flushed, being so careless in her reaction to a simple note Toni had left her. She turned to close her locker and stride away, "Come now."

"Oh, she's got it bad," Josie chuckled to herself, following closely behind the girl to their usual lunch table.

* * *

Walking past the light giggles of Cheryl and Josie's table, Toni had noticed things hadn't been so smooth at the Serpent table, Sweet Pea and Fangs standing guard with a few other Serpents as Jughead had also approached, two additional Serpents flanking his side. Toni had squeezed in behind Sweets, asking Fangs quietly what was happening.

"They're gonna race to see who stays in the Serpents and who gets kicked out," Fogarty nodding between Sweet Pea and Jughead. Toni scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"But why would Sweets put himself in that situation over a little fight that pretty much had nothing to do with him?"

Fangs sighed sadly at Toni, "Not him, _you_."

Understanding sunk into Toni's features, feeling like she had just been punched in the gut and the wind had been knocked out of her. She tugged on Sweet Pea's arm to get his attention, Jughead turning to discuss something with the two lugs he had brought along.

"You can't do this, Sweets. If you lose, they'll hang you out to dry too. Just let me take the fall, it's my own fault."

  
"Topaz, you don't even want to know what the alternative was, _trust me_. I know you don't need anyone to save you, but I told you that I'd always be here to protect you. It's already settled. I'm racing."

Toni would have raced herself, had she'd known what it was coming down to, but her bike was much smaller than Jughead's. A little more agile, but had far less horsepower and Sweet Pea had basically been born on a motorcycle, even being the one to teach Toni how to ride in the first place. He could pretty much ride all of Sunnyside with a blindfold on if he had really been challenged to do so. Toni's stomach clamped, feeling the nausea run through her veins watching the masculine exchange. In a show of respect, albeit there be very little between the boys at this point, Jug and Sweets shook hands and decided on 3PM Saturday afternoon, they'd decide the fate of Jones versus Topaz.

Cheryl caught wind of the bustle from her table, slowly rising from her seat. Her eyes locked with Toni's, concern smeared across both of their faces at an understanding that needed no exchange of words. They'd laid down the footwork, done the talking, set in stone their path, but as the Blossom saw the fear in Toni's eyes, her own stomach lurched, wondering if she was really ready to be the reason Toni was yanked from her family and if that were to happen, if she'd be enough to be able to put back the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be working on trying to write a few chapters ahead, but I might have to toss in a few shorter drabble type to carry us along during my crazy work week coming up. Feedback per usual is welcome!


	11. Protect My Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheryl gets freaky. Smut warning about halfway through. Oops.

Cheryl tried to slip away from the lunch crowd to get to Toni, the pain on the girl's face too hard to ignore even after setting boundaries with each other. Between Josie's incessant prodding at what was going on and Toni getting lost behind the wall Sweet Pea and Fangs were creating around her, the Blossom lost track of the pink haired Serpent. As politely as possible in light of her panic, Cheryl dismissed Josie, the bell signaling the end of their lunch hour. Cheryl pushed past bodies hustling to get to their classrooms, noticing that the only Serpent's left in the cafeteria were Jughead and his posse. The Vixen detoured quickly towards Toni's photography class, seeing that Toni wasn't in her lab, the late bell ringing out. She found herself standing alone in the halls of Riverdale High, desperate to make contact with Toni again. Cheryl's irrational fear of losing Toni yet again becoming less and less irrational at how easy it had been to lose the girl over speed bumps like this so many times before.

[1:37 PM _outgoing text_ ] TT, I didn't see you in class. Where are you?

Cheryl made her way to her next class, fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat, distracted while she waited for a response from Toni. If there were even a chance she could see the girl and talk her off whatever ledge the Serpent was balancing on, she'd drop everything and jump on it. Cheryl would risk virtually anything to try to protect the smaller girl in the way the Serpent's brothers were so quick to voice to her at Pop's the night before. The pop quiz that had been handed out should have been a walk in the park for the Blossom, but her mind was fuzzy with concern for someone other than herself. The redhead tried to shake off her frustration, reading and re-reading the words written on the sheet before her. Her normally neat and confident penmanship was shaky, scratching out her answer before changing her mind and scribbling out an edited one. Just like Cheryl felt like she was running out of time to get to Toni, the rustle of pieces of paper being passed forward signaled that she had run out of time in class as well. Cheryl Blossom had never not finished an assignment, a new sort of anxiety sweeping over her as she reluctantly handed in a half completed, messy quiz. Cheryl's phone buzzed in her purse, some of her uneasiness subsiding seeing that it was a reply from Toni.

[2:12 PM _text_ **Toni** ] Had to go back to the Southside

Cheryl having just had her very first reality check that other aspects of their lives were suffering over all the ups and downs of the rollercoaster they were being forced to ride in the rift between the North and Southside, tapped out an immediate response.

[2:13 PM _outgoing text_ ] Toni, you've already missed so much school.

[2:15 PM _text_ **Toni** ] I have important stuff to take care of

[2:15 PM _outgoing text_ ] I want to help you through whatever is going on and I'm always here for you, but TT, school is important too.

[2:16 PM _outgoing text_ ] I don't want you to get sent somewhere else. I don't want to be here without you.

Amongst everything else going on, Cheryl's point was misguided maybe, but valid nonetheless. It was only her second week at Riverdale and she had already missed nearly half of her classes. The thought of Toni being removed from school for a less than adequate attendance despite her above average capabilities to succeed flashed through her mind. She was sitting on the cusp of not only pushing her chance for academic success away, but possibly the person she wanted most, and as if she were already struggling to balance those, she was even closer to losing her family too.

[2:34 PM _text_ **Toni** ] I promise after all of this is settled I won't miss any more

[2:37 PM _outgoing text_ ] TT..

Toni sighed, Sweet Pea growing more and more agitated as he asked her again to pass her a lug wrench.

"Topaz, c'mon. Put it down," Toni's Serpent brother nodded at the phone in her hands. "I need to get this tire changed out so I can break it in."

When Toni sighed deeply, Sweet Pea wiped his brow with the back of his hand and tossed his rag to the ride. He stood up and dusted his pants off, bumping his shoulder into hers as he spoke up again, a little more empathy apparent in his voice.

"I get that she's worried about you, but if we focus on this and just get it over with, she won't need to, huh?"

"Yeah," the smaller Serpent quietly replied, sending one last text before tossing her phone onto the bench and reaching for a lug wrench and handing it over.

Sweet Pea grunted, taking the tool from Toni's hands and bending over to loosen the bolts holding an expired motorcycle tire in place. The Serpents covered their hands in grease and their bodies in sweat, working tirelessly over the course of the next two hours, changing out parts of Sweet's bike and fine tuning others. They cracked open a round of beers, Toni getting antsy to get to Cheryl and try to balance out the other two weights that were resting heavily on her shoulders. She went back to her phone to check the time and note that they still had to ride out to Greendale to get one last part before they were finished. She finished off her bottle and tossed it into the barrel trash bin and groaned to herself. It was an inward battle, be present and be grateful to Sweet Pea for going to the extent he was to try to protect her spot in their family or get ready for an emotional and mental battle to try to keep her spot in Cheryl's heart and a seat in the classroom that could offer her so many opportunities down the line.

Sweet Pea could feel Toni drifting off again, cracking open another beer and throwing himself down in a lawn chair. He shook off a confused look from the pink haired girl, voicing her concerns. "Another one? How are you gonna ride when you're trashed, Sweets?"

"We're done for today, Tiny. I can clean up."

"You sure?" Toni asked, hesitantly.

"Go be with your girl. We'll ride tomorrow." Sweet Pea grinned at Toni and shooed her away, his grin widening at seeing her eyes light up for the first time that day.

* * *

_[2:45 PM text Toni ] I have to go. But I'll come by later. We'll study and I'll catch up. Okay?_

Cheryl had eased some at receiving Toni's last text, but had still lacked some focus for the rest of the day. At the completion of the school day, she made sure to personally speak with each of Toni's teachers, collecting unfinished assignments and taking notes on chapters of unread material and securing times she could make up any missed quizzes given the very personal nature of her absence the week prior. Feeling a little more in control once she'd successfully convinced almost all of Toni's teachers that she'd be caught up by the end of the week, Cheryl packed her own things and headed home to put together a plan for Toni and read over some of the material to help her through her make-up work. She sent a text to her sweetheart letting her know she was welcome at any time and that she would be preparing a meal for them as she awaited her arrival.

It wasn't long before Cheryl's phone chimed followed by the sound of a motorcycle engine being cut just out front of Thistlehouse. She put their entree in the oven and set a timer, heading to the front door to let Toni in. The redhead, although relived to have Toni come through as promised, took in Toni's disheveled hair and grease smudged on her cheek. She leaned in to hug Toni, but recoiled quickly, pushing Toni back.

"You're.. _ripe_ ," Cheryl chuckled, bringing a hand to her nose.

"Oh, come on, Bombshell. Bring it in--" Toni chuckled back, fighting Cheryl playfully to wrap her arms around the Vixen.

"Absolutely not. Go have a shower, immediately."

Toni rolled her eyes sniffing at her underarm, "It's not _that_ bad, Cher."

"Do you want to cuddle tonight or not?"

Toni breezed past Cheryl without another retort, stripping off her jacket as her short legs skipped steps running up the stairs, leaving the Blossom with a rumble of laughter on her lips. Cheryl moved carefully around the kitchen, cleaning up the marble countertops and putting things back in their place before following in Toni's footsteps and making her way towards the sound of running water. She lifted a fresh towel out of the closet and pushed past the bathroom door to hang it on the hook next to the glass that had fogged up from the steam of the hot water streaming over Toni's tanned skin.

"Good _God_ ," Cheryl whispered, the towel almost falling from her fingertips.

Toni had sensed Cheryl's presence, a smirk on her lips at the redhead's reaction to seeing her behind the glass. The Vixen took in the curve of Toni's petite body, barely able to make out the delicious curve of her backside behind the cloudy glass. She'd had her hands on Toni's body on a few different occasions, but never before had her eyes been able to feast on the Serpent's bare skin, Cheryl feeling a deep blush flush over her chest and cheeks. Toni cleared her throat, breaking the redhead's trance, Cheryl groaning as she ripped her eyes away from Toni's body behind the barrier separating them. The Serpent tipped her head back, hands reaching to run them over her hair.

"You know you're only doing it to yourself, Bombshell. Look all you want, but you still can't touch."

Brown eyes locked back onto brown skin, taking their time to memorize every curve and every indent on Toni's body. The Vixen's mouth was salivating in a hunger that needed to be sedated in one way or the other. Something in Cheryl broke, feeling her hands take on a mind of their own as she stepped closer to the glass. She undid a few more buttons of her blouse, the heat of the shower no match for the fire burning within her.

"Are you absolutely positive I can't touch, TT?" Cheryl purred, putting on a pout as she slinked even closer to the glass. "Even if I'm suddenly feeling a little _dirty?_ I think I might need a shower too."

Toni's breath caught in her throat, choking on the water still running over her face.

"Cheryl, _fuck_." Toni spotted Cheryl's red bra peeking through the open top sliding off of her shoulders. The redhead's eyes were transfixed to Toni's body in a way that the Serpent had never seen anyone look at her. It was desire in it's purest form, but the depth in Cheryl's eyes told the tanned girl there was more than just lust there. Cheryl was looking at her like she was searching for more, as if Toni's body wasn't going to be enough to satisfy the redhead alone. It sent a shiver down Toni's spine and electricity shooting through her core.

"I want it. I want _you_ , but we said no touching.."

It was almost timid, the way Toni was trying to stay strong; Not convincing to either of them that they'd be able to break the hypnotic state that was growing stronger the longer they stared at each other with intensity in their eyes.

The Blossom bit her bottom lip, humming in mischief as she pressed her hands to the glass. Nothing was going to stop her at this point; There was no going back after seeing Toni standing under the stream of water, hearing Toni's resolve crumble with her name on pink lips.

"Just because I can't touch _you_ doesn't mean I can't touch _myself_.."

"Oh my God," Toni whispered to herself, feeling the heat from the inside of her body flush through her to match the heat of the water pelting her skin. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Do I look serious, Toni?" Cheryl countered, desire dripping from her words, her hands moving to resume unbuttoning the rest of her top and shrugging it off of her shoulders. The redhead bit her lip again, reaching down to pop open the button on her skintight black jeans. Cheryl's palm rested against her stomach, sliding slowly down to tuck her fingertips in the waistband of her unbuttoned jeans.

"Holy _shit_ ," Toni choked out, her knees starting to buckle at the sight before her. "You're-- So fucking _sexy_."

They'd both be lying if either one of them said they weren't itching to get there again with each other and Toni had been the one to do all the work during their initial encounter, the redhead wanting to give back to Toni in the only way she knew how to under the confines of their agreement. Although it wasn't technically breaking any rules, they were definitely not staying one hundred percent within their boundaries. The power play Cheryl was making sure was the definition of finding a loophole that was working in both their favors. The Vixen locked eyes with Toni, a wicked grin on her lips as she dipped a little lower, "Do you want to watch me?"

Toni nodded furiously, lips parted, eyes glazing over with lust. Cheryl tucked her lip between her teeth and pushed her hand into her red, lace panties, gasping as her fingertips were met with wet heat. A groan so sweet escaped Cheryl's lips, Toni practically leaning against the glass to keep her from melting right then and there.

"Mmm, _Toni_."

The Serpent let out an uncontrollable moan hearing her name on the redhead's lips. Cheryl's hand began to move slowly, Toni feeling her legs start to go weak with her eyes trained on the circular motion bulging in Cheryl's pants. A pale palm smoothed up her toned stomach, gripping at one of her breasts covered in a matching red bra. Cheryl moaned again, squeezing the mound in her hand with her eyes closed. Her lower hand moved faster, imagining it was Toni's pressed against her, panting Toni's name again.

"Yes, Cheryl. _Fuck_."

Toni could feel herself getting wet in more ways than the shower could produce, drinking in Cheryl's every sound and movement. The redhead's eyes fluttered open, looking at the girl she wanted to be touching her. Watching Toni watch her created a new wave of heat, striking her deep in her core, moaning out the girl's name again. She palmed her breast again before leaning forward to press her hand against the glass. As she bent forward, Cheryl's wrist was able to straighten out a bit more, and she rushed to push two fingers inside of herself. Toni whined, seeing Cheryl's hand disappear completely into her jeans. She squirmed, Cheryl looking up to lock eyes with the smaller girl, reading the needy look she was met with. Toni's hands were on her hips, running back and forth over her lower stomach which was burning with want for the redhead. Toni whined, her chest heaving as her the apex of her legs burned for Cheryl. She groaned Cheryl's name, eyes begging for relief.

" _Do it_ ," Cheryl panted. Toni's fingers twitched on her stomach, but didn't give in completely, the redhead grunting in between begging for the pink haired girl to fuel her fire.

"Toni, _give it to me--_ "

Cheryl's whimper was too much, shooting through Toni, lighting every nerve in her body on fire. She slipped her hand between her legs, rubbing quickly over her sensitive nub of nerves. She let out a delicious moan, her knees buckling at the sensation her hand was creating.

"Oh, God." Cheryl moaned, pumping faster into herself, Toni's name falling from her lips over and over again as she worked herself higher.

Toni found a rhythm matching Cheryl's pace, placing her free hand in the same spot as Cheryl's on the opposite side of the glass, wishing she could just reach through it and lace their fingers together. She wished she could throw her body through the barricade and replace Cheryl's hand with her own. The circles she was tracing on her clit caused her jaw to drop open, breathing heavily against the glass. She quickly got herself to the place Cheryl seemed to be, the redhead's brown eyes glued to the way her hand moved between her own brown thighs.

Cheryl gasped out, hitting a spot within her that started the rumblings of what would be an exquisite landslide of pleasure.

" _Toni_ ," she cried out, curling her fingers inside of herself. " _Please_. Take me all the way."

"Fuck, Cheryl," Toni whimpered, moving her hips in a rocking motion towards the glass in Cheryl's direction. "Right there. Don't stop."

She watched as Cheryl's face twisted up in concentration, giving herself a few more pumps with growls burning in her throat. Toni felt the familiar clench in the lower stomach start to tighten further, her chest pressing against the glass as she arched her back.

"T-- _Oh_ ," Cheryl gasped for air, crying out for the Serpent again. "T-- Toni--"

"Cher-- I'm here. Fuck, Cheryl. I'm gonna-- _Cheryl! Uuuungh!"_

"Yes, _yes!_ Oh-- _Tooooni!_ "

Toni's body went nearly limp, her forehead resting against the glass, breathing so heavily she thought she might pass out altogether. Her eyes rested on Cheryl, who was now sitting against the wall with her knees slumped out to either side of her. The redhead exhaled deeply a few times, trying to moderate her breaths, looking exhausted as she looked up to meet Toni's eyes.

"Holy _fuck_ , Bombshell."

Cheryl chuckled and let her head lull to the side and she exhaled dreamily, " _Yeah_."

* * *

After Toni had finally finished re-showering and Cheryl had stripped and showered herself, the girls changed into shorts and t-shirts, laying comfortably on the couch with books sprawled out on the coffee table. They were both completely spent before they even cracked their assignments open, getting through only a few before Cheryl yawned and Toni scooted back to let Cheryl lay her head in her lap. The pink haired girl mirrored Cheryl's yawn as she lazily scratched at the redhead's scalp, earning her a sleepy hum.

"So much for studying, huh?"

Cheryl chuckled, turning to press a kiss to Toni's wrist.

"You need to catch up, my sweet."

The Blossom could hear Toni's silent eye roll in just the way her body moved, tapping her reprimand to the other girl's thigh. Toni sighed, not wanting to have to face reality after Cheryl had so effortlessly taken her away to a place she felt so high and safe just an hour before. She wanted to stay there with Cheryl forever, in their own little world where Serpent's couldn't turn their fangs on her, where answers to a test couldn't decide her fate, where the world couldn't tear her from the girl she found solace in.

"I know. I just can't concentrate when all I want to do is be with you and forget about everything else," Toni grumbled, still stroking over Cheryl's red hair. "I feel like if I focus on school, then I'm not preparing for the race. And if I'm preparing for the race, then I'm not spending time with you."

"What race?" Cheryl scrunched eyebrows down in a scowl.

"Oh-- It's nothing, I just--" Toni scrambled, not wanting to add a burden to Cheryl's shoulders.

"TT," Cheryl warned. "I've already chased after you. _Twice_. Please don't run again."

The Serpent sighed, scratching at Cheryl's head again. She knew this would go one of two ways, having experienced the Blossom deal with stressful and emotional burdens so far. Either Cheryl would get upset and cry-- Breakdown, really. Or she'd retreat and go cold. Neither of which Toni was prepared to navigate through and suffer causing Cheryl to have to face yet another event in their relationship to cause turmoil. Even though the pink haired girl didn't want to dump that wight on the Vixen, she had lectured the girl on trusting her. And despite her gut telling her 'no' her heart was telling her 'yes' and to trust the girl laying in her lap. With a deep sigh in preparation, Toni closed her eyes and let it rip.

"Sweets. And Jug. They're racing on Saturday to see who stays in the Serpent's and who goes. Permanently."

Cheryl stopped Toni's hand gently and moved to sit up, confusion written all over her face.

"Why Sweet Pea? I thought Jughead threatened you?"

"He did. Sweet Pea is doing it to protect me," Toni explained with emotion threatening to crack her voice. "But if he loses, they'll force him out next."

Cheryl laced her fingers with Toni's, using her free hand to rub the back of the other girl's hand, guilt making her stomach turn to knots at the thought of having anything to do with separating Toni and her best friend from their family. But Cheryl was a Blossom, and above all else Blossom's were true to their blood. Toni and her family weren't blood, but the redhead felt fiercely protective of Toni and would do anything to make sure she wasn't ever alone again.

"Then we'll make sure he doesn't, TT. Sweet Pea, other than Jason-- He's treated me better than anyone I've ever shared blood with. And _you_ , you're more home than I've ever felt anywhere else."

Toni's eyes started to sparkle with tears, even as her lips curled into a smile. Her heart was beating in her chest, hearing that Cheryl was in fact more than the vicious, heartless heir that Jughead had made her out to be. Toni squeezed her hand, her breath catching in her throat as Cheryl clear as day announced that she wasn't stepping off of her high horse, but bringing those she cared about up to stand tall beside her.

"And I'll do anything I can to protect my family."

Toni knew then that Cheryl Blossom wasn't the one she had to worry about. She knew that the girl in front of her no longer had to run from things that scared her or cry in defeat. This Cheryl Blossom was strong enough to tell Toni how she felt; This Cheryl Blossom was stealing her heart with each passing second.


	12. Winning Doesn't Always Mean Not Losing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hello. I'm back. Sorry to have kept you waiting so long, if anyone was! I have a short, pre-angsty chapter for you to gear us back into the mood :)

_Four days_.

Ninety-six hours.

Five thousand, seventy hundred and sixty minutes.

Three hundred, forty-five thousand, six hundred seconds.

That's how long Cheryl had been obsessing over how to get Toni out of this mess with the Serpent's. She'd tried, and failed to convince Toni to let her go to the Serpent's, to FP, to anyone, to find another way. She'd stayed up into the coldest hours of the morning to find an equation that would work itself out, to find a solidified solution to keeping the bubblegum haired girl's place in her family, instead of leaving it to chance. She'd played with the statistics, done the math, mapped out every possible pro and con to letting Sweet Pea race on behalf of the girl she needed so desperately to stay; But it all ended with uncertainty. And Cheryl Blossom did not do uncertainty, least of all when it came to losing something for someone she cared about more than herself. It would have frightened the redhead to an early grave had she had the time to really concentrate on just how strongly she felt towards Toni, but her mind wouldn't take a moment to think of anything other than how to keep it from all falling apart.

She'd worked tirelessly to catch the possibly soon-to-be ex-Serpent up to speed in all of her schoolwork, reading days of material in one sitting to fully be prepared to coach the girl through any roadblocks. Cheryl, who had never had to lift a single finger in her life if she chose not to, would tuck the smaller girl under a blanket on her sofa before cleaning up their mess of their take-out from Pop's. She would take Toni's clothes to the laundry room and scribble down notes in the girl's notepad, pen stuck between her teeth, as she scrubbed out the grease stain on her favorite t-shirt. The Blossom folded a duffle bag's worth of clothes Toni had been backpacking around with her after they'd been washed and dried between chapters and she'd changed the sheets on her bed after Toni had worked relentlessly to keep working with Sweet Pea at Sunnyside before heading straight over to the Whyte Wyrm for her shift. After living a life in which she was revoltingly spoon fed, Cheryl had taken on an all new form, exhausting herself at the sacrifice for keeping Toni going. The dark circles under her eyes were no longer able to be hid by concealer, and her chipped manicure, as embarrassing as it was, went without touch-up.

She refused any help from the pink haired girl, shushing her and turning her away, no matter how apparent it became that Cheryl was losing herself in a very Betty Cooper-esque way, trying to solve the conspiracy of the Serpent showdown. She would wordlessly drop Toni back off on the Southside after they'd studied, eyes gazing straight ahead as if she were miles away. It worried Toni to watch the Cheryl she was falling for slip slowly from her grasp and make way for a new robotic girl who seemed less and less in touch with her emotions and more so driven by the erratic and neurotic behavior that it had been replaced by. 

Although Toni had never felt more cared for, her love language was physical touch, followed by quality time, both of which seemed to be lacking the further Cheryl slipped away into her own mind. She saw how the light in Cheryl's eyes dimmed, how her bark wasn't as bad as it used to be, her bite disappearing altogether. Toni knew she was to blame, even if she hadn't made the decision to start the crusade and even as she begged for Cheryl to let her deal with it. It was counter productive, Cheryl's behavior, wanting to save Toni, instead just pushing her further away. Good intentions, wrong decisions.

When Toni's alarm went off at 1PM that Saturday afternoon, she gave the den door a light wrap with her scarred knuckles. The girl called out Cheryl's name timidly, sadness building in her chest when she only received a non-committal grunt in return, Cheryl's eyes glued to a computer screen instead of looking up to meet her gaze.

"Cheryl," she tried again. "I'm leaving."

The redhead nodded and waved, almost as if she were shooing Toni away. "I guess-- I'll just see you there then," Toni whispered sadly, tucking her duffle bag closer to her chest.

She'd arrived at Sunnyside with enough time to talk through the plan with Sweet Pea for the hundredth time, to do a final checkup and to say her goodbye's to anyone in the trailer park that wouldn't be along for the race, just in case she'd have to ride away and never step foot in her home again. After she'd written a love note in chalk on the side of an old tin shed, Toni kick started her bike to life, the "V" shaped parade of motorcycles hit the road to the starting point, on the Southside of an old bridge ten miles out. When they arrived, Jughead's troupe was lined up on the East side of the road, bikers standing in front of their vehicles, her crew lining up on the West. A blue Thunderbird was parked down the road, about three hundred feet on the East side, Archie sitting on the trunk of the car, Betty and Veronica leaning against the main frame. The ginger's eyes were burning with flames as he watched Toni roll past them, Betty and Veronica looking uncomfortable as they averted their gaze from Toni's altogether.

Toni parked her motorcycle at the head of the pack, Fangs and six or so other Serpent's filing in behind him in support. Toni swung her leg behind her, hopping off her ride and headed over to Sweet Pea, pulling him into a hug at the opening of the bridge. Fangs solemnly nodded to the pair, signaling it was just about time. The smallest Serpent pulled her phone out of her pocket and noticed they had about seven minutes to the start of the race, Cheryl's Impala nowhere to be seen.

"I guess it was all too much after all," Toni murmured, looking down the winding road for any sign of the red car.

Sweet Pea's lips pressed into a line, and shook his head, pulling Toni into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Tiny. I really thought she lov--"

  
The purr of the '61 Chevy cut through the rest of Sweet Pea's thought, Cheryl pulling effortlessly up behind the line of motorbikes on the West side. She exhaled deeply, nodding at Veronica who had been staring intensely at her since she cut the engine and stepped out, looking as flawless as she had ever been on the HBIC's finest days. Oddly enough, the Blossom had a seemed to make a full recovery from the darkness that had been clouding her over the last four days, and even odder, she breezed right past Toni and Fangs without a single glance or word. She leaned in to whisper something in Sweet Pea's ear and he nodded. She nodded back and whispered something else, the girl gripping his shoulder encouragingly. Sweet Pea nodded and turned back around to face the road, revving his bike. Jughead had nodded at Sweet Pea next, marking their official countdown. Cheryl had paced back to pull a red scarf from her car, marching back to the starting line, Toni not fully comprehending what she was doing. Registering that Cheryl was going to signal the start of the race, Toni gave the girl a full look, up and down, taking in how fresh and alive the girl who had just been clouded with darkness looked and she opened her mouth to rebut.

"Usually I do the honors--"

"Not today, Cha-Cha. I was born for this moment," Cheryl's sickeningly sweet voice cut Toni off. As the redhead did a twirl, she caught a glimpse of Veronica down the road, biting her lip and nodding to herself before looking away. Cheryl knew from three hundred feet away, perception was that the girl's were flirting, even possibly showing off their relationship, but there was no way for the crowd to know that she and Toni were silently battling keeping themselves from falling apart, Veronica's acceptance of their show just the confirmation the Blossom needed. Cheryl had exhausted every last second coming up with an escape plan, part of which was to create the illusion that she and Toni were just as strong as they had ever been, to prove to Jughead, his cronies and everyone else that Cheryl was by Toni's side in every way and that the Blossom would be just one more person he'd have to go through in Toni's army, even if they were silently crumbling.

Cheryl swallowed the lump in her throat, seeing the pain behind Toni's eyes and looked at each rider, the both revving their engines for the final time before raising her arms confidently above her head. The tension was thick, everyone nearly leaning in at the anticipation as Cheryl dropped her hands and leaned back in the wind as both bikers tires squealed against the asphalt and roared down the road. A crowd swarmed the mouth of the bridge, watching as the boys were neck to neck down the straight away before disappearing down a hill and around a slight right hand bend.

Cheryl pushed past bodies in leather jackets and rushed to Toni's side, brining her lips to the smaller girl's ear.

"We need to leave, _now_. Get everyone and head back to the Wyrm."

As much as the last few days had made Toni's head spin and heart ache with confusion as to what Cheryl was up to and why she was unintentionally distancing herself from their bond, she nodded and grabbed Fangs by the elbow.

"Get Wolfe and the boys and leave. I'll grab Queenie and Bonnie. Meet us at the Wyrm."

The mad dash for bikes on the West side went unnoticed as everyone on the East had mounted theirs as well, no doubtably headed for the finish line. There was a haste for the ones on one side, peeling out of the area while the others had taken their time to discuss things and hang out, Sweet Pea and Jughead's race being at least twenty minutes long around the ravine and back towards the Southside. Once back at the Wyrm, only those who had stood along side Sweet Pea and Toni were parked outside, stragglers making their way downstairs to grab a drink and wait for an explanation.

Toni hopped off her bike and paced up to the driver's side of Cheryl's car when Sweet Pea came speeding into the parking lot. He skidded to a stop and reached for a nearby bucket of water, splashing the exhaust pipes of all the lined up motorcycle's to cool them down, Toni watching incredulously.

"What the actual fuck is going on?" she spat out, anger bubbling in her throat. "Did you throw the race?!"

"Get inside, Topaz!" he boomed in response.

When the Serpent made no inclination that she was going to move, Sweet Pea grabbed Toni by the arm and jerked her forcefully towards the door. Cheryl reached out to pull him off of her, and gently took Toni's wrist instead, wedging herself between the smaller girl and the heated Serpent.

"I'll explain inside," the redhead tried to coax, gently moving a reluctant Toni towards the door.

The bar was dim and only the light rumble of Serpent's chatting could be heard. Sweet Pea hopped up over the bar and popped the lids off of a round of beers for everyone, sliding them into the hands of his friends before clinking two glass bottles together, calling for attention.

"We've been here for the last two hours celebrating Tiny's return home and her doing well in school. None of us were out at the ravine and none of us know anything about the race. Is that clear?"

Some of the crowd nodded obediently while others murmured between each other. "I said is that clear?"

Fangs held up his hand in a show of respect and understanding, a round of hands holding the Serpent fangs in the air to follow suit. Once Sweet Pea was satisfied with the room, he handed off to Cheryl who cleared her throat.

"You're all here because of Toni or Sweet Pea, or both. I know my reputation here precedes me, but I can assure you I am here for the same reasons you are. I want to keep them safe and I want to defend their space in this family. So, Sheriff Keller received an anonymous tip that there would be an illegal race in the ravine, so please be reminded that we brought you all here to avert any unwanted attention on yourselves. I realize that the Serpents could now be divided further by this decision, but all I'm asking for is a little faith that this is not the end of this fight and I will stand by you til the end until this is rectified."

Stunned looks and whispers cascaded round the room until finally someone raised a glass. "Here, here!"

  
A roar of approval rang through the bar and bottles and glasses clinked against one another, Sweet Pea calling everyone to get back to celebrating. The next hour or so was filled with uncomfortable exchanges between Cheryl and some of the younger Serpent's who had come to stand by Toni and Sweet Pea's sides, the Blossom's forced conversation eventually melting into laughs and handshakes. The room seemed to finally lose some tension, everyone drinking and coexisting in a cohesive way on the Southside, even if it was just for the night.

Toni had made it clear she was avoiding the Blossom, Cheryl needing to stick near Fangs' side to find some sort of reprieve, being close enough to Sweet Pea and Toni that she wasn't spiraling out of control yet far enough away to not feel the constant sting of Toni's blatant avoidance of her. They hadn't been shy with their affections before, the change of demeanor between the girls not being lost on the two boys who had brought it to each of them separately.

"What happened between you guys?" Fangs blurted out abruptly while Sweet Pea and Toni were at the bar grabbing another drink.

Cheryl sighed, toying with the label of the bottle in her hand. "I think I made a mess of the whole thing. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in something that I end up utterly obsessed with it. I was so fixated on fixing this for her that I fear I've lead her to believe I'm still the same selfish girl I've always been. I wanted so desperately to save her because _I_ was the one who didn't want to hurt-- _I_ didn't want to lose her. My actions have been about me, instead of making her feel like they were about her."

Fangs hummed and nodded, patting her thigh gently. "You know, if there's anything I know about Tiny, is that she doesn't need to be saved, Red. She needs love. She needs _you_."

Cheryl nodded silently, confirming that she understood she'd made a grave mistake. She still didn't understand fully what it meant to take care of someone, and even as she tried her hardest, it seemed as if it had almost been in vain.

Meanwhile, over at the bar, Sweets saw Cheryl with her head hung low and Fangs patting her thigh, nodding over towards them as they waited for new drinks.

"What's up with that? You not talking to her or something?"

Toni refused to look at Cheryl longer than a split second, knowing that if her gaze lingered, her heart would break and she'd cave, making the effort to make things right with the redhead.

"She just feels sorry for me. She practically pushed me away to the point where she couldn't even look at me anymore," Toni grumbled, turning her back completely, trying to sound annoyed more than hurt.

"She means well though, no? I mean, she didn't orchestrate this huge intervention for _me_."

"That's the problem though, Sweets. If she really knew me and what was important to me, she would have been there for you too. She knows you're like my brother and your place here is just as important as mine."

"I think she was just trying her best, Tiny. Maybe you should cut her some slack."

"You don't _get it_ ," Toni huffed, turning away from the taller Serpent to wipe at her eyes before they could keep tearing up. "She didn't even talk to me about it. If she really cared, she would have showed it. She would have _been there for me_. She wouldn't have left me feeling so alone."

Sweet Pea clapped a hand to Toni's back and pulled her in for a hug, shielding her from Cheryl's view and waiting until Toni had gathered herself enough to return to their corner of the bar. The four of them didn't stir it again, Cheryl eventually deciding to have a few glasses of water instead of continuing to drink with the rest of the Serpent's in order to be deemed sober enough to make the trek home safely. As Fangs hugged her goodbye, she reached for Sweet Pea next, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"Thank you for trusting me. I'm really glad you're safe," Cheryl murmured only loud enough for him to hear.

Sweet Pea rubbed her back and smiled softly down at her as she looked up with the beginning of tears in her eyes. He read the entire story she was telling him with just a gaze and whispered down when Toni looked away.

"Just give her time. She'll come around."

Cheryl nodded against him, wiping away a tear that she blinked out and making her rounds to say her goodbyes to the new Serpent's she had met, even hugging one or two of them as she departed the Southside for the evening.

* * *

The next day, Toni was awoken by the ringing of her phone, the ringer not turned off like it usually was. She didn't have much time to speak with Cheryl privately the night before, wondering if it were the Blossom trying to re-connect. Her stomach dropped when she saw that the caller ID was an unknown, local number, swiping her index finger across the screen and mumbling an exhausted 'Hello.'

"Toni-- It's uh, FP. You have a minute?"

"FP? Um, hey-- Yeah," Toni rubbed at her temples which were aching. "What's up?"

"I got a call from the Sheriff's office last night. Apparently Jughead and some friends were caught racing. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Toni sucked in a breath, not knowing how to respond, an uncomfortable silence telling the semi-retired Serpent all that he needed to know. "Uh. Um--"

"Tall Boy already told me. I know what Jughead was aimin' to do. Guess I just wanted your side of the story. Why's he racin' to kick you out, Toni?"

"I-- That's not really my place to say, sir."

"Topaz, you're like a second daughter to me. You tell me straight," FP's causal tone fading into one that was a little more authoritative.

Toni sighed heavily, a hand running over her tired face, knowing she was taught to owe respect to her elders, most of all the man who had held the Southside together for so long. "There's this girl, a Northsider. I, um, we're sort of-- I dunno. " Toni trailing off, not knowing how to convey what was going on between she and Cheryl. "Well she doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to the Southside, or the Serpent's. And Jughead, he found out about us and he told me to choose, her or us."

"So she's trying to take us down?" FP questioned, not fully understanding why his son would go to such great lengths to protect the Serpent's if not fully warranted.

"Well, no. I mean, she hasn't always been so kind, but she's never _done_ anything."

"I'm not following, Toni."

"Jughead doesn't want me with her because she's a different kind of threat to him, " Toni admitted weakly. She clenched her eyes tightly, practically hearing FP's jaw clench on the other side of the line.

"Huh," FP grunted, reading in between the lines of Toni's roundabout words. After another moment of silence, FP took an audible deep breath and stated his thoughts. "Family protects one another, even if it means disagreeing or putting aside your pride."

"I'm sorry, FP. I didn't mean for this to--"

"Hey, Tiny, no. You'll always be a part of this family and I'll handle this-- I'll handle Jug. Thank you for telling me. And uh-- You make sure I meet this girl, before things get serious. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright then. Later, kiddo."

And with the beep of the line going dead, Toni slumped back onto Sweet Pea's couch, not ready to face another fight, although she knew she had to. Cheryl had made it happen, unusual approach to saving the day, but completed the task at hand none-the-less. If only it weren't at the expense of making Toni feel like she had lost a piece of her family just the same. Sometimes winning didn't always mean not losing.


	13. This Is What Insanity Feels Like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, angst, angst, angst. It's gonna get worse before it gets better *shrug*

Toni ignored her phone for the next three days. She'd hid in Sweet Pea's trailer for the rest of the weekend and had been late to school and every class in order to be able to walk the halls alone, not wanting to face Cheryl. On Monday, Fangs had notified her that Cheryl hadn't been to school, so she felt free to walk into her AP Lit class unbothered, but by Wednesday, the Serpent had come up with an excuse to go to the nurse's office during the period. Just as her phone had remained switched off, Toni had switched herself off from any chance she'd have to run into the redhead also. It started to make her throat tighten and her stomach ache at the loss, but her disappointment and anger seemed to be coming through just as strong. She wasn't the one that was wrong. Maybe Sweet Pea had a point, Cheryl had just been trying to make things right for her, but there was no way that Toni could cave when Cheryl was the one that lied, the Blossom was the one that pushed _her_ away. It had Toni wound up and edgy. Feeling less and less like all they had been through was just a front, like it all meant nothing. Cheryl promised her that they'd learn how to communicate, that they'd do everything that they could to get to know each other and support each other, but here she was having to silently defend herself to someone who didn't even care enough to make amends.

Toni had been a complete mess, thinking about Cheryl and the way things had ended, twenty-four-seven. The girl had mulled over in her brain what she could have done differently to get her counterpart to just _understand_ her. She didn't need someone to sit and do her homework with her, or wash her clothes. She didn't need Cheryl to keep her fed or even offer a bed for her when it was too late to ride back to the Southside alone. Toni had appreciated all of those gestures, but at her core she knew those weren't things she _needed_ , and if she were being completely honest with herself, it wasn't even what she wanted. Cheryl knew Toni had been brought up to have to fend for herself. The Blossom knew that she had been more than capable of taking care of herself, even if it was a struggle at times. She knew Toni didn't have a bloodline to take care of her and she knew that the Serpent was used to feeling uncertain about where her next meal would come from or where she'd be sleeping for the next few nights. Those weren't new things in her life and Cheryl seemed to be beginning to understand that the piece that was missing was someone who made her feel whole even without the certainty or stability. Yet, all Cheryl seemed content to do was to throw money and favors Toni's way, not wanting to do more than scratch the surface of Toni's story. Cheryl seemed to be stuck in a place they'd already visited with each other and it broke the pink haired girl to absolute pieces that she wasn't worth doing the work to know more. Toni had been willingly free falling into Cheryl, giving every bit of effort she could to make something _real_ work between them, and all the Blossom seemed to do in return was to retreat to her old ways. Cheryl had begged Toni on more than one occasion to be allowed to prove that she could be something more, but in Toni's eyes, her actions continued to fall short of the words that fell from cherry lips, each and every time. All Toni could do was wonder, when she felt like she had found her whole world in Cheryl, why she just wasn't enough for the other girl. All she could do was break further into a million pieces because she thought Cheryl was beginning to feel the same way.

Jughead had gone away for the week to visit his mom and Jellybean, by FP's orders, so Toni had nothing to focus on other than the tension she was feeling the further and further any chance of rekindling with Cheryl melted away. Sweet Pea didn't bother her much once they were back at Sunnyside after he had tried to get her to open up again. She'd snapped at him with such force that he decided it was better off to let the girl brood on her own, even if he'd had enough of her mood swings and being woken up by her sobs in the middle of the night. He didn't really believe the girl when she said that Cheryl didn't care about her, but with the redhead's absence from school and no real way to contact her without going through Toni or a Northsider he definitely didn't get along with, Sweets felt like all he could do was be loyal to his Serpent sister and ride it out along side her.

Sweet Pea wasn't really the type to get into personal business like Fangs was, but Toni wasn't just one of the boys anymore, not in the state that she was in. He pulled Fangs to the side when Toni headed to the nurse's office on that Wednesday, not being able to bear watching the girl's heart crack further as the days ticked on. Fangs and Sweets, they'd been there the last time Toni had her heart broken by a lover, they'd been there when her heart broke after being kicked out of the house at fourteen. The boys had seen her cry, seen her push them away and they'd seen her at what they thought was her lowest. But this-- This, was different. Toni hadn't bounced back and put a tough face on for her Serpent brothers. She had stopped eating, barely even tried to disguise when she had been bawling in the bathroom, and definitely hadn't had more than a few hours of sleep since the first night they had returned back to the trailer on Saturday night. Watching her round the corner and slink out of sight, the slim boy seized his opportunity.

"Dude, we have to do something," Sweet Pea pushed the shorter boy into an empty classroom. "She's fucking falling apart."

Fangs nodded his head, "I know, but you know Tiny. She won't talk about it until she's ready. And it's not like we can force Red to talk to her."

"Cheryl's texted her a million times, bro. I plugged her phone into the charger because I thought it was just dead. Turns out Toni just turned it off and when all the notifications came up when it turned on, I realized she'd done it on purpose."

"Well we can't exactly force her to text her back."

Sweet Pea pushed Fangs' shoulder, "Dude, she's _not_ okay. She's making herself sick."

"Okay-- Chill." The shorter Serpent rubbed his shoulder. "The pep rally."

"What? You don't even like football--"

"Man," Fangs mumbled with his hands over his face. "No, idiot. Cheryl's a cheerleader. We have to get Toni to the pep rally."

"Oohh--"

Fangs rolled his eyes at realization kicking in. "I'll handle Cheryl, you make sure Toni is there."

* * *

Fangs had cornered Veronica at her locker at the closing bell for the day. A perfectly sculpted eyebrow shot up in curiosity as the handsome Serpent bit into a Twizzler. He leaned in with his arm propped against the cool metal of a locker door and flashed a winning smile at the girl.

"So, heard there's a pep rally tonight."

"Yeah. You and the rest of Riverdale," Veronica scoffed with the roll of her eyes.

"You going?"

This guy _had_ to be kidding.

"Obviously, nimrod," she sneered, nodding down at her Vixen's uniform.

"Perfect. I need a favor-- Twizzler?" Fangs pulled out another candy stick, completely unfazed by Veronica's jabs. When she shook her head in disgust he just shrugged and continued. "Cheryl hasn't been to school in a couple of days and the Serpent's have some stuff to clear up with her after the race mishap. Will she be joining you?"

"How would I know? Isn't _your_ friend dating her?"

"Who, Tiny? I don't think they're-- _Dating_. And anyway, she isn't so privy to this exact Serpent business," Fangs lied. It wasn't exactly a bold-faced lie given the circumstances between the redhead and the sapphic Serpent, but the less Veronica knew, the easier it would be to convince her to play right into his hands.

Of course the new information peeked Veronica's interest, her eyebrow shooting up again with a smirk on her lips. "If I can guarantee that Cheryl's there, will you leave me alone?"

Fangs smirked back, stepping away with his hands in the air as a sign of a peaceful agreement.

"Fine. But no blood. No one like a man that roughs a girl up--" Veronica turned to stalk away, hips swaying as she did, doing a small pivot to toss one more piece of banter at him. "Unless she's the one asking for it."

Veronica bit her lip and twirled back around, Fangs chuckling to himself at just how easy it was sometimes.

* * *

"C'mon, man. You've barely been out of this trailer other than to be a mindless zombie at school."

The pink haired girl just tucked herself further into a ball on the couch, her back facing Sweet Pea. Clearly he was going to have a tougher time cracking Toni than Fangs had at cracking Veronica. He knew he should've just sucked it up and swapped with Fangs when he had the chance. He'd tried to lure her out of her spot by ordering her favorite pizza and when the smell didn't stir her, he put on her favorite movie, which she had _never_ not sung along to. Not even Toni's favorite scene had caused the girl to flinch.

"Topaz," he warned, receiving yet again no answer. "Fine, but you're going whether you like it or not."

The taller boy bent down and easily rolled Toni's frame so that she was now on her back.

"Just-- Leave me alone."

"No! This is _bullshit_ , Toni. I'm not gonna let you keep doing this to yourself. We're going."

If all other coercing wasn't going to work, then brute force it would have to be. Sweets bent over and scooped Toni's body up in his arms, the frail girl not being able to wiggle her way out of his hold. He carried her to the kitchen table and plopped her down in front of a half empty pizza box.

"Eat. I'm grabbing your jacket and if you haven't had at least a slice by the time I get back, I'll force feed you. I'm not fucking around."

The smaller girl scowled at him but picked up a piece of pizza regardless and bit into it, feeling nauseous but swallowing it all the same. She managed to get about halfway through before the nausea was too much and she gave up. Sweets paced back up to her and sighed upon seeing that she had at least tried, carefully placing her jacket over her shoulders.

"You can ride with me. Fangs is gonna meet us there."

* * *

Sweet Pe had made sure to take the ride to the Northside a little slower than he normally would, making sure Toni would stay secure on the back of his bike. He hand managed to pull into the parking lot of the school with both of them in one piece, parking next to Fangs and had nudged Toni to get off so he could also dismount his motorcycle. He had nodded to the other Serpent to let him know to go find Cheryl while he packed Toni up and led her towards the bleachers.

"Hey, you guys go grab some seats, I'm gonna have a smoke real quick," Fangs muttered with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He nodded back to Sweet Pea as he lit the stick and waited for them to head towards the field.

As soon as they were out of sight, the boy flicked his cigarette towards the asphalt and made his way towards the team's locker rooms. Giggles and female voices could be heard from the next door over as her passed the boys locker room and leaned his back against the cement wall near the door to the girl's room. He hadn't waited long until Veronica popped out in her Vixen's uniform, whistling a cat call at her as she passed him.

"Veronica--" he called, a smug grin on his face as she whipped around, startled. "Red in there?"

"No, you creep. She's already down by the sidelines. She doesn't know the routine, so she's just going to be spectating tonight. Good luck getting your hands on her while the whole town is out there watching," she spat back viciously.

When Fangs seemed to stiffen in agitation, the girl spoke up again, "You said get her here, not get her here alone. Make sure you specify next time you try and play a Lodge."

With a twist of an evil smile playing on her lips, Veronica marched off towards the football field, leaving Fangs to grit his teeth and wrack his brain for an alternate plan. By the time he was out by the bleachers though, it was too late. Toni had come running past him, tears streaming down her face, dodging him completely as he reached out an arm to stop her.

"Tiny! What's going on?"

Sweet Pea came barreling down the path after her, almost knocking Veronica over who had flattened herself against the chain link fence to get out of their way. Sweet Pea stumbled as Fangs got in his path, searching for answers.

"She saw Cheryl and darted--" Sweet Pea growled, pushing past the boy and tried to catch up the the smaller girl. He called after her but she slipped into the girl's locker room to get away from him. The tallest Serpent banged on the door and yelled after her.

"Toni! I'm sorry! We just thought that if you two saw each other that you could talk about it. We just wanted to help."

When all they could hear was sobs echoing off the walls of an empty locker room, Veronica pushed Sweet Pea out of the way and let herself through the door.

"I'll talk to her. _Clearly_ you imbecile's know nothing about how to deal with women. Don't crowd the process." Veronica quipped and tried to shut the door, two male faces peeking in around her. "I said, get _out_ of here. I'll bring her back when she's ready."

The boys reluctantly stalked off back towards the crowd and waited nervously, not seeing Cheryl slink past them in the shadows towards the locker rooms. She quietly opened the door to hear a soft voice and sobs coming from the benches around the corner.

"She did the same thing to me, Toni. She reels you in and then leaves you out in the cold when she's done with you. She makes you feel special, and I can see that you are, but to Cheryl, it's just a game. She's not capable of loving someone other than herself. You deserve to be with someone who can truly see how amazing you are--"

The anger boiling in Cheryl's body was uncontrollable. How dare Veronica speak on her behalf. What they had, it didn't mean nothing, but Veronica knew full well that Cheryl felt for Toni in a much deeper way that she ever had with Veronica. Maybe it was the bitterness that was making the brunette speak out against her, maybe it was a malicious play to get her back, but either way, Cheryl wasn't going to stand for it. The redhead hadn't fully taken the time Toni deserved to articulate and make sense of her feelings for the girl, but they were real and they weren't something she was going to let Toni believe weren't genuine. She rounded the corner to give Veronica a piece of her mind when she gasped, feeling her heart drop into her stomach.

Veronica had been holding Toni's chin, one thumb wiping away tears while she started to lean in to kiss the Serpent when the scuffle of Cheryl's feet and loss of breath brought two sets of eyes darting in her direction.

"Cheryl," Toni muttered, feeling her heart stop at seeing the girl she had desperately tried to avoid staring right back into her very own chocolate eyes.

Despite all the anguish that Toni had been feeling for the past few days, her body relaxed seeing the only person in the world that could make her feel better, standing merely ten feet away.

" _How could you?_ " Cheryl whispered, tears streaming down her face, no one really knowing if she were addressing Veronica or Toni. Toni had stood abruptly to reach for Cheryl but the girl had turned quickly and disappeared behind a wall of metal lockers. Cheryl had kicked off her wedges and grabbed a pair of practice sneakers and a hoodie from an open locker, darting out the door before Toni could even reach her.

* * *

Cool air whipped along her bare cheeks as Cheryl hit the ground running. Panic was nipping at her ankles, pushing her to keep moving as if the actual emotion could catch her and bring her down in a heap of muddled physical and emotional turmoil. She’d managed to sneak out of the building and across the parking lot, seemingly unnoticed albeit the clear streaks of mascara running down her face and her feet shoved into sneakers that if observing closely were noticeably being worn without socks. The backing of her right shoe was bent and held captive under her heel, but in her haste to make a quick escape, Cheryl never once bent down to untuck it and slip her foot completely in it’s place. Her hair was wild, quickly tugged out of her messy bun to try to conceal her identity along with the hood she’d thrown up over her head as she quickly slipped into the shadows of the dimly lit streets she was inhabiting.

She had fled the pep rally from the locker room in a fit of what most would interpret as rage. But the person who’d known her best over the past few weeks would most terrifyingly have read it almost as clearly as hurt, confusion even.

The striking of steel against flint that had sparked this quickly erupting escapade had been nonsense to literally anyone who had felt Cheryl’s reaction. A simple gesture had evolved in redhead’s mind into a tornado of manipulation and betrayal. Flares of jealousy ripped through her ribcage, annihilating her heart, igniting her outbursts at two of the people who she’d at one point or another been the absolute closest to. It was more than just jealousy that had sucker punched the Blossom in the gut. It was the overwhelming reality that she had been hit by that specific emotion so hard that had shaken her to the core. Of all emotions to feel in that moment of rash discovery that her ex— her almost-- whatever Toni was, and one of her friends were dancing around the idea of crossing blurred lines, it was heart wrenching jealousy. And it was by far not of the harmless variety. Cheryl knew that if it were the typical squabble between she and Veronica, one of their nonsensical competitions of sorts, she wouldn’t have reacted so violently. It stung, twisted her in agony, that maybe some underlaying emotions were being pushed to the forefront after laying dormant for so long. Typical catty jealousy had devilishly jumped the gap and had become the most dangerous kind. A deeply rooted emotional burning that left far more questions than it seemed anyone, herself included, had answers.

Heavy feet plopped along pavement, leaving even heavier emotions cemented in her wake. Toni left jealousy with one step, betrayal in the next. Her chest rose and fell with each strangled breath she fought to truly fill her lungs with. Embarrassment in the next attempt forward, denial in the following. The pitch black night surrounding her as the streetlights flickered out above her left Cheryl to truly start to understand that the darkness she was harboring was sucking the light straight from the world around her. The girl was beginning to think she encroaching on an all time new low.

Her knees hit the earthy ground of a park that by day was surely filled with laughter and love, but was now filled with the corrosion of a girl sinking straight into the hands of the devil reaching through hell to come and claim her back. Her spine crumpled as her chest fell to meet her stomach, her left cheek offending the blades of grass that met her fallen figure, finally collapsing into devastation. Laying on her side, her limbs and torso contorted into the monstrous embodiment of the human she once thought she was, Cheryl let the flood of tears drain any last bit of hope from her seemingly lifeless form. The sharp inhale of still and silent night air pierced her with the reality of every dark emotion that was threatening to rip her apart from the inside out.

She was the dagger that was thrusting into her own back. Cheryl had caused this. She was the one that pushed Toni into the arms of someone else. She was the dragon that was guarding the castle that held her heart, and she was the only one to blame when her Queen had come to rescue her and she refused to let anyone in.   _She_ was the sole reason she was left alone as her old demons crawled out from within her and lay like a blanket over her slumped shoulders. They spread over every inch of her skin while the deadly combination of the dropping temperature elicited wild goosebumps to burst across every surface on her. Some slithered into her ears while others beat her from the inside until they filled her mouth. She choked on them as she gasped for any particle of fresh air any God looking down on her could supply. Instead she got only what she was deserving of, more harsh words her vocal cords wouldn’t put an actual sound to, followed by the sting of bile that would have been known as venom having been delivered in a much less self-inflicting, pain ridden circumstance and the more usual attacking nature her audience has known her for. Only now, Cheryl had made sure she was her only audience member. The only person left who could bear the darkness intertwined within her; And that was only because she couldn’t shed her skin and walk away like she was sure anyone one else left in her life would undoubtedly do.

With limbs just barely heavier than her sorrows and eyes clouded over, thicker than the haze she had put herself in, the redhead managed to lift herself to a stand. She swayed as tremors in her legs fought to bring her to her knees again, one hand grasping desperately at the thick fog of shame pushing her back down towards the gravitational pull of the devil’s hands creeping up through the ground to keep her entrenched to her dark roots. Every force surrounding her, delusional or not, was tugging and pulling, pushing and oppressing every little flicker of light within her to fight giving into her deepest seeded immoralities.

She left only a trail of confusion in which to find her, deserted in an unknown plot of land, effectively deeming her search and rescue party, if anyone were still willing to even come after her, useless to the cause as she moved further and further away from the scent of vanilla sandalwood, a staple of the homey smell of Toni.

Even tucked away in her posh Thistlehouse for over three days, that pairing of scents always stuck with Cheryl. It was buried deep in the threads of one of Toni's forgotten t-shirts, lingering on the sun kissed skin that lay protected underneath. No amount of wine wafting or smoke floating in their presence could dissipate that sense memory for Cheryl. The warmth in that smell alone was home for her. Even as she pushed herself in emotional exhaustion further down a dimly lit path she was positive she’d never traversed before, even if the only thing she ought to have been smelling was exhaust from freshly parked cars and spilt beer on the street, Cheryl in her newly clouded haze could feel prickling down her spine as vanilla chased after her.

It was almost as if Toni was with her. As twisted up as Cheryl was in her moments of dark panic, she was almost comforted of that as she ran from the very person her subconscious was battling to keep with her.

The Vixen smoothed her hands over her pockets, feeling in the midst of her haze for her phone, for any connection to a lifeline that could reel her back in. She needed to hear vanilla and sandalwood like she could smell it so strongly that it was leaving the flavor on the taste buds in her mouth. Under the moonlight, her coordination seemed to fade by the moment, giving up on her search for a phone she knew she wouldn’t have the courage to use if given the chance. She convinced herself that her search was in vain, but in reality, deep within herself, Cheryl knew it was because she was terrified of facing the truth she had so blatantly left behind in that locker room.

Moving as if she were walking on water, seesawing on her own two feet on the unsteadiest of pavements she’d ever traversed, Cheryl found herself standing before an unlit bridge. She rested above the very water she felt swishing inside of her, causing the roll tides of emotion to flare as she wished for nothing more than to be submerged in it to even out the waves crashing within her. The curiosity of what it’d feel like to be as free as the calmly flowing water below had the girl leaning against the stone cold wall built to keep people from tumbling down into them. She reached out in desperation, seeking forgiveness from the madness raging through her. Without knowing how or why, the frail girl was teetering unsteadily on her tip toes, reaching against her demons for calm and cool and silent. Gravel slipped from under her right toe, the only connection she had left to the cement she should’ve been standing strongly on. With a grunt Cheryl toppled forward, feeling her heavy chest begin to tip forward, slingshotting her un-stabilized bottom half from the solidity of the ground under her feet. Being at the beginning of the slope upwards, the fall to the water wasn’t nearly as great as it would have been if Cheryl had decided to take a closer look merely ten more feet ahead.

 _This is what insanity feels like_.

Ice cold water hit her with what felt like a train hitting brick wall. The oxygen that was flowing through her veins to keep her brain alive and well was instantly ripped from her lungs, suddenly being submerged in a much less breathable atmosphere. The shock that ripped through her system was enough to quiet all of her battling thoughts and emotions, effectively loosening all of the muscles that were previously wrought with tension. Cheryl’s eyes opened under the icy water, seeing nothing but a floating bit of light above the surface she was sure she wasn’t going to break through again. Succumbing to the exhaustion she’d been carrying on her shoulders for miles and miles of fleeing, the Blossom closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her mind and body become one with the gentle flowing of water around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank you all for the continued support while I navigate this love story! It means the world to me that you care enough to read and leave me feedback! I absolutely adore when you leave me little nuggets to read in the comments! Until next time! Besos!


	14. All It Is, Is Eight Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, baaaaaaby here we go!

"Let her go. She'll run out of steam eventually"

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with you, Veronica?!" Toni screamed.

"Me? _Me?_ Don't take this out on _me_ , Toni! You're the one that came in here crying over her," the brunette spit back.

" _You_ just tried to kiss me!"

"Yeah, Toni, I did! Because you deserve to see that Cheryl isn't who she says she is! You deserve the chance to get over her and see that you deserve more."

"You don't know what I deserve," Toni growled through grit teeth. "You don't know me! And you _don't_ know Cheryl."

Toni pushed past Veronica and slammed through the locker room door to try and find any clue as to where Cheryl had gone. All the doors nearby had been shut securely and there were no sounds of footsteps, panic rising in Toni's chest at the idea she wouldn't be able to track down the girl and talk her off the ledge the redhead had clearly been teetering on. Even when Toni ran away, Cheryl had finally come to find her, that much was clear, and it was all the Serpent had been wanting but what the Blossom found in return was not how Toni wanted to fix things. She saw the pain ridden face Cheryl left her with, the anguish in her brown eyes clear as day. It broke Toni to a new level, wondering why she had ever doubted Cheryl and if she had just let the girl go for good without fighting for her. She had essentially just done to Cheryl what she had felt the redhead had done to her. Toni couldn't let them end this way, letting Cheryl believe that there was any room for anyone in her heart other than for her. Even as she hurt and had a blow to her ego, the pink haired girl knew she had to find Cheryl. It was hard to tell where the girl had disappeared to, running to Sweet Pea and Fangs to see if they had seen the girl fleeing.

"Where'd she go?!" Toni panted, her face pale with terror.

Sweet Pea and Fangs took in the horrendous fear on Toni's face and sprung out of their seats, wanting to ask questions, but not knowing where to start. Toni took in their dumbfounded looks and shook in frustration.

"Cheryl!--" Toni panicked, starting to turn towards the parking lot. "Did you see her?"

"Toni, slow down. What's happening?"

"Cheryl," the girl mercilessly repeated. "I-- I have to find Cheryl--"

Sweet Pea and Fangs ran after the smaller girl who took off towards the parking lot. They skidded to a halt, finally seeing Toni put her hands to her face and crumple in towards herself. Fangs rushed to her and pulled her in to his chest.

"Tiny, breathe. I didn't even see her leave the field."

"She ran. She came to find me-- Veronica--" Toni was struggling to piece together the pieces, gasping as her throat tightened around the truth of what Cheryl must have thought she was seeing in the locker room. "She thinks Veronica--"

Fangs held on to Toni a little tighter, feeling the girl slump weightless in his arms. He scooped her closer to him and held her until she was back on her own feet.

"Okay, bud, slow down. Why did she run? She couldn't have gone far."

She pressed her face into Fangs' chest, taking a slow breath to try to collect herself. "Veronica tried to kiss me. And Cheryl saw. She came looking for me and that's how I repay her. I _have_ to find her."

Fangs smoothed his hand over her back and Sweet Pea came to pat her shoulder and reassure her, "Then we'll go find her."

Toni reached into her pocket to dial Cheryl's number, reaching voicemail immediately, shaking her head when she received no answer. Sweet Pea grabbed the helmet from his bike and handed it expectantly towards Toni. "We'll split up. Toni, with me. Fangs take Addison, we'll take Valley Dale Drive. There's no other way she could have gone from here on foot."

Toni took the helmet and hugged Fangs again, hopping on the back of the same bike that had gotten her to Riverdale high at the beginning of the evening. The shorter Serpent tugged his jacket tighter around his shoulders and pulled his own helmet on. "Make the loop and meet at that park on Newberry?"

Sweet Pea gave Fangs a nod and he felt Toni grip him tightly as he roared his motorcycle to life. The boys peeled out of the parking lot in opposite directions, Sweet Pea able to ride a bit quicker with a second pair of eyes. Brown eyes squinted in the darkness, scanning the sidewalks for any sign of Cheryl. They quickly pulled up to the park and Toni nearly stumbled hopping off the motorcycle to call out Cheryl's name. She ran quickly towards the darkness as a second spotlight from Fangs' headlight pulled up and gave Toni a few more feet of sight. Her foot crunched on something hard, hearing a slight crack. Her foot recoiled, Toni looking down at what it was. Seeing a rectangle with cracked glass on it, the girl quickly bent to reach her small hand around the object. She picked it up and turned it over, recognizing the phone case.

"Cheryl? _Cheryl!_ "

The boys heard Toni's call, repositioning their bikes to light up as much of the park as they could, seeing that the play place had been completely abandoned. Toni froze, realizing that Cheryl could be anywhere by that point. As she held Cheryl's broken phone in her hand, Toni began to sob again, repeating Cheryl's name in between gasps for air. A pair of hands pulled her upright and wiped at her cheeks.

"Get it together, Topaz. Don't you give up on her now. We're already a few miles from the school. She _has_ to be close."

Toni coughed, trying to catch her breath and shoved Cheryl's phone in her jacket pocket, following the boy back towards his motorcycle. She tugged the helmet back on her head and swung her leg over the back of Sweet Pea's bike. The boys decided to split again, making sure to take it a little slower to make sure they didn't miss the girl. Sweet Pea rode around a bend in the road and in less than a few more seconds, his headlights shone on a bridge just five hundred feet down the road. A rustle of the bushes just to the left caught his eyes and he pulled into the opposite lane of traffic as he neared, Toni tugging on his jacket in confusion as to why they were stopping. Before he even cut the engine, a wave of darkness washed over Toni, hearing a gasp and a small splash of water. The Serpent's rushed towards the bank along the water, finding a limp body under the murky water. Toni's heart stopped and her body seemed to give up despite her will to get to Cheryl, falling to her knees while Sweet Pea sprinted towards the downward slope. His boots slid in the mud and he fell to his back, sliding the rest of the way into the water. His momentum carried him towards Cheryl's body that was resurfacing again, the pale girl gasping for air again.

"Cheryl," he gargled, getting a mouth full of water. He wrapped his arms around her weak body, grunting as he fought to get back onto the bank. Toni had found her feet again, grabbing at the back of Sweet Pea's jacket, helping them pull back onto the grass.

"Cheryl," Toni also cried out, pushing soaked strands of red hair out of the girl's face. "Cheryl can you hear me?"

The Blossom coughed, barely able to nod her head with exhaustion as she tried to regulate a normal breathing pattern.

"I'm right here, Cher. We've got you. You're safe," Toni couldn't help but rush to pull Cheryl's limp body upright and into a hug, rocking her back and forth while Sweet Pea fell back against the bank to catch his breath. They were both relieved to have found Cheryl in one piece, but the cool night air made sure to remind them that they weren't out of the woods just yet. Cheryl shivered against Toni's petite frame and the smaller girl stroked the redhead's soaked hair.

"We've gotta get you home," Toni whimpered, remembering how cold she had felt when the tables were turned and Cheryl had been the one holding her wet body after the rain storm.

"No," Cheryl's voice was barely audible, her lugs weak from their fight under the water. "It's too far."

"She's right. We'll have to take the long way to get her back to the Northside from here, and then we'll still have to ride out to their property. It'll be quicker to Sunnyside."

Sweet Pea rolled onto his stomach and picked himself up to grab his phone from his motorcycle and called Fangs to tell him where they were. He squinted his eyes before turning back towards Toni who was helping Cheryl walk towards him, her Serpent jacket covering the Blossom's shoulders.

"Wait. How are we gonna get her back to the trailer?" he questioned Toni with a face skewed up in what would have been a hilarious fit of confusion had the evening not been plagued with darkness.

"You'll have to pack her. We don't have time to call for a ride-- She's nearly frozen already."

"I want to stay with you, " Cheryl pleaded weakly.

Toni's heart ached, seeing how terrified and exhausted the redhead had been. She shushed the girl gently and wrapped her arms around Cheryl, trying to keep some heat pressed to the wet dress and pale skin underneath. Toni pulled back and tugged her jacket tighter around Cheryl to zip it up. She shook her head, looking at the size of Sweet Pea's motorcycle, knowing it was going to tear Cheryl apart to have to leave her in someone else's hand.

"I'm not big enough to ride both of us on Sweet's bike, Cher. But he'll take care of you, I _promise_."

"All you have to do is hang on to my waist. I'll make it as smooth and quick as I can," Sweets nodded reassuringly.

Fangs had pulled up just in time to see Toni placing Sweet Pea's helmet on wet red locks. His eyes were wide, taking in the sight of Cheryl's hand clutched so tightly around Toni's arm that the tan skin was starting to pale with the lack of blood flowing to it. Cheryl was still dripping and so was his Serpent brother, quickly handing his helmet over to Toni.

Toni gently pried Cheryl's hand from her arm, leaning up to make sure the strap was buckled and tightened to fit the redhead's chin. She cupped the Blossom's chin and whispered softly. "Hey, I know you're scared. But I need you to be strong for me, Cheryl. I lov--" Toni cleared her throat, casting her eyes away at a near slip of the tongue. Instead she pressed a kiss to Cheryl's freezing lips and pulled away to help her mount the bike behind the taller Serpent. "The ride is only going to make you colder. We have to get going."

Once Cheryl had grabbed a hold of Sweet Pea, Toni backed away, hearing Cheryl whine out and reach back for Toni, tears in her eyes. Toni leaned back in to kiss her again, whispering against her lips. "I'll be right behind you, love. You hang on tight, okay?"

Cheryl nodded weakly and whimpered at the roar of Sweet Pea's engine turning over. Toni nodded at her again, kissing Cheryl's knuckles before letting them go and mounting the bike behind Fangs. The redhead tucked her face against Sweet Pea's back and he felt her nod against him when he asked if she was ready. They took off less than a minute later, crossing the threshold into the Southside ten minutes later.

* * *

Upon arriving at Sunnyside Trailer Park, Fangs had made sure that the girl's were set before hugged Toni goodbye quickly and told Cheryl he was glad she was okay. He wanted to stay and make sure everyone was fine, but all Cheryl seemed to want to do was cling to Toni for dear life, deciding to let them have their space to get everything sorted. Sweets had led them inside and made sure there were enough blankets in his room, tidying up a bit, and check if there food in the pantry before telling Toni he would crash with Fangs for the night. She looked back at him with confusion, to which he only replied with confidence.

"You can't expect to keep her warm all night on a couch, Tiny. I feel like you two need some space anyway. Call me if you need anything, 'kay? Lock up in the morning if you come to school. The folks won't be back from my cousin's wedding until next week."

Cheryl let Toni go momentarily so she could hug Sweets and she reached out for Toni's hand again, shivering as she leaned towards the taller boy also. She side hugged him and nuzzled her face against his chest. "When are you gonna learn to stop being so nice to me? It's gonna ruin your reputation, thug."

Sweet Pea chuckled and rubbed her back. "You're family now, I'm in the clear for going soft." Just as she was about to pull away though, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You have to promise me you'll learn how to take care of her though. She can't do this without you anymore."

With one more hug, Sweet Pea got back on his bike and left the pair to get warmed up inside. Toni had carefully removed her jacket from Cheryl's torso, hanging it up near the window to dry out. She helped the girl peel off her dress and get into the shower, stripping herself of her clothing and stepping in behind Cheryl. The last time Cheryl had seen Toni naked, they couldn't help but succumb to desire, but Toni had every intention of taking care of the other girl in a completely different way. Toni made sure Cheryl was warm enough to stand on her own comfortably, turning her back as the girl washed the trauma of the evening off her skin. When she was done, the pink haired girl lathered Cheryl's hair and washed it out, eventually combing her fingers through long locks as she treated it with conditioner. The fear and pain was still in Cheryl's eyes even as they swapped spots so Toni could finish showering, eventually stepping out and wrapping themselves in fresh towels. Toni sat the Blossom on the edge of Sweet Pea's bed, gently toweling at Cheryl's hair, knowing that no one in the trailer had a blow drier. It was surely different than the redhead's normal nightly routine, but the way Cheryl wouldn't let Toni move further than an arm's length away seemed more than adequate enough a replacement.

Toni rummaged through her duffle bag for a pair of sleep shorts and two oversized t-shirts for them to sleep in, tugging on a pair of underwear as she handed the shorts over to the other girl. It didn't take much coercing to get Cheryl to lay down and get comfortable, exhaustion clearly winning the battle over Cheryl trying to keep her eyes open. Once Toni had crawled up beside the taller girl, she finally gained the courage to speak about what happened.

"I didn't know she was going to try and kiss me, Cheryl."

Cheryl's sleepy eyes stayed open, sighing as she took in the fear written on Toni's face.

"I think I know that, but after what she was saying to you, I just freaked out."

"You heard that? Cher, I'm sorry-- I should've defended you."

"It's my fault, TT. I know how upset you must have felt after I've treated you so poorly lately."

Cheryl used all of the energy she had left to reposition herself to lay on Toni's chest, hugging her tightly. Toni accepted their new position, almost finding it easier to confront the girl while holding her so closely.

"I just don't get it, Cheryl. I thought we were past it. I thought you really cared for me and then you just shut down. You wouldn't talk to me about anything other than Lit or Algebra and eventually you wouldn't even look at me. You made me feel like I was just some charity case you got stuck with."

"I know. And I apologize. But that's not how I feel towards you."

"Then how _do_ you feel?"

When the girl remained silent, Toni gave the redhead an encouraging nudge.

" _Cheryl_ ," Toni whispered. "Nothing you say could change how I feel for you. I _know_ what we have. I'm not running and I want you to know that you don't have to anymore either. I don't ever want you to feel alone again, but I don't want to feel alone anymore either," Toni's voice wavered, feeling vulnerable even as she held on to the girl who was clutching her tightly.

_If all it is, is eight letters, why is it so hard to say?_

_I_ _f all it is, is eight letters, why am I in my own way?_

_Why do I pull you close and then push you away?_

_All it is, is **eight letters**._

Cheryl had played hot and cold with Veronica over the course of months during their on-again and off-again rendezvous, but this was different. It wasn't out of indifference towards the situation -- The complete opposite in fact. She cared so deeply that it shook her to her core to think that eight little letters could crash and burn everything that set her on fire with Toni. Cheryl knew after everything that they'd been through, the way she had felt the highest of victories when Toni would sink into her, safe and secure, and the way she ached with such incredible force when there was a chance they wouldn't be together, she knew she was feeling more and more for the smaller girl and it had begun to sunk in for the redhead that she was falling for Toni; That she was probably already there and that all she had to do was get her head to catch up with her heart. Veronica had been sweet, caring, passionate even, but with Toni, a simple glance in her direction had the power to crumble everything that Cheryl 'Bombshell' Blossom was. Veronica, even with a grip so deep on her body that it would leave bruises on her porcelain skin in the morning, was never capable of reaching her the way Toni could just by flashing a casual smile at her from across a room.

But she just wasn't ready to say it out loud.

Cheryl didn't want the first time she said those words to someone to be forced or rushed because of a traumatic event. She didn't want to rob herself of the opportunity to experience the journey through it's entirety. And Cheryl refused to give Toni any less than she deserved, which was all of her and the whole truth, when the time was right.

She clutched Toni tightly, burying her face in warm skin of the girl's neck. "I feel it too-- What we have. And I feel like I want to make sure you never feel alone again."

Toni seemed to accept that as an answer, pressing a kiss to Cheryl's lips in response. Cheryl leaned up to return the kiss, humming in contentment as her eyes finally couldn't hold themselves open any longer. She cuddled tighter against Toni's body and traced her fingers along Toni's back, seemingly just mindless doodles to the pink haired girl. But in all reality, Cheryl was writing eight little letters on her back with her fingertip, in cursive, on a loop until she finally melted away into her sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG CHERYL LOVES TONI. 
> 
> AND TONI ALMOST SAYS IT.
> 
> BUT HOLY SHIT CHERYL LOVES TONI.
> 
> Also she's still a hot mess, so we'll have to wait for the actual L bomb but why would I ever make anything that easy for us?
> 
> Leave me love? My choni heart needs it like Cheryl needs Toni to breathe.


	15. Hero

It was pitch black in the room when Toni's body started to heat up. She felt sweat start to bead on her forehead, her hair starting to matte at the nape of her neck. She shifted uncomfortably as perspiration rolled down her tanned back onto the silk sheets below her body. She wasn't completely awake, still trapped in the haze of a deep sleep that had just been holding her captive. Her mind was wafting between slipping back into a slumber and waking completely to tend to the discomfort her physical body was signaling attention for, a warning sign of trouble to come. As Toni's body started to tingle for more conscious attention, she woke abruptly to a body in her arms going rigid and a sharp gasp so deep Toni's body also went rigid with fear. The Serpent quickly sat up, realizing that Cheryl's eyes were still shut while the girl began to shake. Grunts and groans left the Blossom's bare lips, her limbs stiffening before jerking around defensively. Toni narrowly dodged a shoulder to her cheek even in the darkness of the room, her eyes just barely adjusting to the light but sensing the movement coming. Propped up on her own wrist, the smaller girl lightly pressed against Cheryl's shoulder, back against the bed, whispering her name to stir her from whatever was trapped in the redhead's mind. Cheryl began to thrash more violently and moan out in pain, which caused Toni to swing her leg over the girl's waist, keeping one hand on her shoulder and the other gently cupping Cheryl's face. Tears began to spill from behind closed eyes as Cheryl continued to struggle to be free from her own mind.

"Cheryl," Toni shook the girl's shoulder again. "Cher, wake up."

It took Toni gripping onto Cheryl's hips with her knees and a few more deep pushes to her shoulder to elicit a ghastly inhale from pillowy lips. Cheryl immediately brought her hands in front of her face instinctively, knocking Toni's touch from her skin. She cried out, trying to remove the weight that was fully atop her body, feeling the terror of her nightmare become real as Toni sank deeper on top of her.

"No!-- Please," Cheryl begged, her eyes clouded with tears.

"Shh, I'm here. You're okay-- You're okay," Toni pleaded with the girl to recognize her voice.

Cheryl sobbed, still trying to fight the demon pressing her back into the fiery pits of her dream when Toni coaxed her name again.

" _Cheryl_ , listen to my voice," Toni reached up again to hold Cheryl's cheek. "Love, it's _me_. I've got you. Shh, I've got you."

The redhead seemed to finally let the familiar sound of Toni's voice sink into her, just like the anchor of the smaller girl's weight on her hips. Her hands relaxed at her sides finally, but her eyes were wide, tears flowing freely. The cold sweat on her brow crept to her neck, the hair on her arms standing at attention as a shiver ran through her body. Toni stroked her hair back, leaning down tentatively to press a kiss to her hairline.

"I saw him, when I was under the water-- Jason," Cheryl finally using words to recount what happened to her as she slipped off the bridge and into an alternate reality. "When I close my eyes, I can still see his face, like he's calling me to join him."

Toni lowered her body to rest back against Cheryl's side, pulling the girl to rest on her chest.

"Oh, Cheryl," she whispered, feeling the pain in the girl's voice. Cheryl had never told her directly what had happened during the summer before they met, but Toni had definitely heard the many different versions of the story that were floating around Riverdale. The one constant in all the stories was how close the twins had been, the revolting language about their relationship aside. "I know you must miss him. But you're _here_. And _I'm_ here-- I'm with you. You're safe, Cheryl. And you're not alone."

The images while Cheryl was underwater were as vivid as they had been the day she had climbed into the boat with her brother on July fourth. Jason's face was as real as it had been when she hugged him goodbye and let his fingers slip through her own as he left her standing on the opposite bank from the one that they had started on. But something was different. He was _haunting_ her, as if she were the one that was supposed to be gone, not him. It could have easily been Cheryl's insecurities playing with her mind, but she felt disgusted with herself nonetheless. And she felt _guilty_. To the point that she was going to be physically sick.

The Blossom immediately rolled out of bed, bare feet quickly padding across the hardwood floor into her en suite to let it out, clutched around a porcelain basin. Toni swiftly followed, swiping red hair into her hands, noticing that Cheryl's pale complexion was even more translucent, almost matching the basin her pale fingertips were clutching. Cheryl sobbed into the bowl, another violent wave of sickness rolling over her as Toni rubbed soothing circles between her shoulder blades.

Cheryl had woken with a start twice more over the next few nights, the cold sweat and shaking no longer new to Toni, although the cotton candy haired girl had still not quite gotten used to the look of terror in Cheryl's eyes, followed by the dark guilt as she rested back into the physical world with Toni's fingers intertwined with her own. By the fourth morning, however, Cheryl had begun to recuperate quickly. She had eaten breakfast like normal, and dressed for the day as if nothing happened. She let Toni drive them to school and even walked by her side to their first classes of the day. Cheryl was a little more quiet than usual, but her high heels clicked against the tile with the same authority everyone else was familiar with, but never accustomed to. People scattered out of her way, and everything seemed to be business as usual. Toni had instinctively lingered a little closer to the Vixen as often as she could, trying to make sure Cheryl always knew she was safe and never alone, but the night terrors continued in the dead of night, long after they had finished studying. It went without saying that Toni would be falling asleep next to the Blossom nightly, at first the pair coming up with excuses as to why she shouldn't have to return to the Southside. But eventually, they stopped filling the space with words and decided to let understanding just sink in instead. It was almost as if Cheryl was out of the woods, having fewer dreams over the next week, and when she would have them, her strangled cry wouldn't be so shrill, and she would shake less violently, Toni snapping her out of it quicker and with more ease. It was almost as if Toni was the cure to Cheryl's darkness, until it became unbearably clear that she wasn't, and Toni was just living in a fantasy as Cheryl was silently operating in a living hell.

* * *

It was eerie; Stale, cold air, silent. Too silent. It was three in the morning and the Serpent was exhausted from her shift at the Whyte Wyrm, Cheryl finally ushering her out the door seven hours prior, telling the girl she refused to keep her from her responsibilities any longer. Toni dropped her keys onto the marble countertop of the kitchen island, boots kicked off in the foyer. She stood still, perched right there in the middle of so many lingering memories, old and new. Something felt different in the room, just a few days ago, Cheryl swaying her hips as she stirred into a pot of something that definitely didn’t smell anything like pasta sauce, candle light and soft music, melted cartons of ice cream abandoned at midnight for dancing in the moonlight shining through the window.

Toni shook at the thought that now she was alone, all the pre-made warmth and happiness sucked from the room, the house, her body, her mind. A shiver slithered down her spine, leaving a trail of goosebumps in it’s wake, spreading eagerly across her arms and legs, down to her feet pressed to the cold tile through her socks. Her eyes dropped quickly as she looked down at the raised skin.

Something wasn't right.

There came a time in every person’s life when they felt like a superhero. Helping a little girl in the hallway who had been shoved into the lockers pick up her books, holding a door open for a mother with a double stroller with two toddlers strapped in and an infant tucked against her side above the twins, giving up a parking space for someone who was clearly having a worse day than themselves and could use the little kind gesture to turn their scrunched eyebrows into a smile flittering at their lips. There’s just an internal tug, something that ignites someone into action, leaving doubt or hesitation cast far from their mind. Every day there was a chance to be someone’s hero. Sometimes though, being a hero wasn’t as easy. Even a hero takes for granted. Even a hero misses the cues and pleas for help. Even a hero can pat themselves on the back for being a helpful hand to a stranger when all along the love of their life was drowning right in front of their eyes.

Toni took a deep breath, the chill in the air unnatural even in the autumn weather. Her muscles tensed, the hairs on the back of her neck standing as if her body knew something her head couldn’t catch up with yet. The girl closed her eyes, not daring to take another breath, move an inch or disturb the emptiness. It was darker than she had anticipated behind her eyelids, ironically enough opening up her vision to see what was really happening around her, in her life. There was a creak in the floorboards above her. Never in a normal circumstance would Toni ever had paid any mind to even the littlest of moans and groans coming from the walls or floors of the antique mansion, but her body was suddenly on high alert. Snapping her eyes open, she scanned anything and everything in her line of vision.

_What was out of place?_

Another creak from above sent Toni’s eyes straight for the ceiling as if she could bore a hole through the floor above and see what was there. Suddenly she was moving, as if some sort of magnetic force was pulling her to connect with it’s opposite pole. Hallway, turn left, staircase, turn right, guest bedroom, pause, listen. By some miraculous doing, Toni’s ears perked up at the sound of water running softly. Her feet carried her quickly to the end of the next hall, her hands twisting the knob to Cheryl's bedroom door and pushing it open forcefully. A chill, colder than the one she felt downstairs pierced her skin, sending a panic through her chest.

Toni rushed for the bathroom, beauty products littering the once neatly kept counter top. Her eyes darted for the shower, tugging the glass door open only to find her world crumpling around her. The Serpent’s knees buckled, her chest restricting so tightly she thought she’d never be able to suck in enough air to keep breathing.

“Cheryl--” a strangled sob was caught in her throat while her shaking hands reached for the pale girl slumped against the wall and sitting on the cold tile of the shower floor. “Cheryl, no, no, no, no— Please... Shhh, it’s oka—” Toni swallowed hard, clenching her jaw shut. She couldn’t trust her voice to stay unbroken, knowing that if she couldn’t keep it from faltering, that nothing else could be said in those moments.

She pulled Cheryl from the water, wrapping her arms securely around the frail frame, reaching quickly for a clean hand towel. Clenching her jaw until her teeth felt like they were going to crush into dust against one another, Toni carefully gripped Cheryl’s chin and wiped at her bloody nose. She stood, leaning against Cheryl to keep them both stable as she carefully wiped away the smeared mess, dabbing carefully with a new corner of the towel, shutting her eyes tightly to keep the tears from coming. Once all secure, Toni looked into Cheryl’s blank eyes, pulling her against her own body. She lifted Cheryl up further, their height difference causing Toni to awkwardly try to maneuver the limp girl out of the stream of water from the shower head. Toni finally found her footing and carried Cheryl into the bedroom to lay her down as she pulled a robe from the Blossom's closet, lifting her to drape it around the other girl’s shoulders. Toni pressed a kiss to Cheryl’s forehead, quickly shrugging her jacket off and removing her wet shirt. She tenderly climbed into bed beside the redhead and tucked her body next to Cheryl’s, resting her forehead against the girl's temple. Her free hand stroked through the wet and matted locks, smoothing over them, pressing light kisses anywhere her lips would reach in their locked positions against one another.

Finally, after hours of shifting around each other and Toni constantly checking to see if the girl was having another poor reaction, Cheryl drifted off to sleep. Toni was once again left alone. She was left to slither out of bed unnoticed, bite her quivering lip at the door and hold in the tumultuous pain clawing her apart from inside her chest. Once the door was shut behind her and she was standing alone in the guest bedroom down the hall, Toni dropped to her knees, the most retched of strangled cries breaking free from her lungs. Her shoulders slumped, dropping her numb limbs to collide with the floor as she sobbed, wailed into the palms of her hands until there was nothing left inside of her. Everything she had built up, the anger, the disappointment in herself, the fear, it all flowed through her until all that was left was a hallow shell of a body. Toni cried it all out and slowly gathered herself from her place on the floor, refusing to acknowledge her numb legs or swollen eyes. She would be the hero today, clean the mess in Cheryl's bathroom, throw out the evidence of multiple Jingle Jangle straws, wash the bloody towel, wipe the slate clean, pull herself together and get back in bed to make sure it never happened again.

Cheryl had woken with another terror, an hour later, the girl quickly rolling out of bed to be sick, as if Toni were living a moment of deja vu, a reflection of the first nightmare they lived through. Had the Serpent not known any better, she would have been sure it was just the Jingle Jangle stirring it's toxicity through the girl as her body tried to purge it. But deep down, the smaller girl understood that this was the doing of a drug much more dangerous, and that was one of self-destruction. One Cheryl Blossom had been addicted to far longer than the substance she had consumed earlier in the night. As she pressed her chest into Cheryl's back, settled back in for another rough night, Toni made a promise to herself that she’d be nothing less than a hero. For if she neglected to ever be again, if she ever lost sight of the love she could have lost in that bathroom, no one would ever be left to save her from herself.

So many thoughts, so many dark and sobering thoughts clouded every corner of Toni's mind as she woke that weekend. They crept through every nerve ending, putting her on full time fight or flight mode. They were crossing over into her most vulnerable of places, spreading their seed in her heart, pumping their poison through her every vein as she routinely went about her afternoon. The darkness crawled until it was eating her alive while she carried on doing the most mundane of things. Ordinary tasks were becoming top importance missions, Toni feeling the need to master each movement with precision as to not throw the world out of balance with another mistake. Each and every thing she did in the aftershock of mayhem would have to be just right, things had to be handled with care, balance needed to be restored. Maybe it was guilt that kept her body standing at attention, ready to be thrown back into the storm at a split second’s notice. Maybe it was her disengagement of emotion in the matter that made her tense up, as if playing the role of peace keeper was the only thing she had left to offer Cheryl. She thought she knew what her sweetheart needed, that her loving touch was enough to make it better, but it was all too real now that Toni understood she was a far cry from it. But the pink haired girl refused to break, not in front of the wounded girl her heart was shredding to bits over. Her voice would never betray her, her tears would never fall unless behind closed doors, she’d be strong. If it was the only thing she was able to do, the only thing she knew how to do in her constant state of panic, she’d do it.

Time was irrelevant over the last two, two and a half days, after Cheryl's near over dose. The light or dark cascading through the windows were merely just there, Toni never paying much attention to anything but the rise and fall of Cheryl’s chest or the fluttering of her eyes open, just to fall sleepily shut soon after. After the redhead's meltdown was out and she’d pulled herself together long enough to pretend it never happened,Toni had tried to stay within a foot of Cheryl, for God only knows how long, until it seemed like things could go back to normal. Sure, it had changed Cheryl's behavior, but she was still holding conversations with Toni, still trying to eat normally, still wrapping herself in Toni's embrace every night. But after the Serpent had seen just how affected the Blossom had been over falling into the depths of the water the week before, it frightened her more than anything else in the world that if she moved, she’d come back and Cheryl would be back in that bathroom again. Whether she closed her eyes, or kept them fixed on something completely irrelevant, Toni couldn’t stop the thoughts from coming, the scene from playing on a loop. The flashbacks were horrific. The Serpent could hear the pain, the silent cries were ever present as the images in her mind were suddenly only centered on the spreading of red, everywhere. Like a plague, like an ominous plague of fear and anger.

As she left Cheryl asleep in her bed upstairs, thick tears fell silently down her cheeks as the pink haired girl stood in the Blossom's kitchen, preparing a simple sandwich for Cheryl. She was so _angry_. She was angry that she was allowing herself to let the tears fall, now, out in the open. She was angry that all she could see was the vacant eyes looking back at her and how those weren’t Cheryl’s; That they were going through this again. She was angry that she didn’t notice them start to slip away again. She was angry that Cheryl didn’t make her see, that she did this to herself, to each other. Struggling to twist the top off of the peanut butter, Toni slammed her palm down on the counter in frustration and ill-concentration, biting into her lip to keep the cries from her lips, tears stinging her eyes when she shut them tight.

“ _Fuck_.” Toni swallowed her outburst and tried again, picking up the jar and twisting with less force. There was no room for emotion right now. She was on her mission, to tend to Cheryl. To make her feel better, to fix her.

Opening up the door and making her way into the kitchen, Cheryl saw Toni hunched over the countertop, spreading some peanut butter onto two slices of wheat bread. A peanut butter and jelly. She dropped into a bar stool and grabbed a blanket to wrap around her shoulders, suddenly freezing. There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted to explain, she wanted to apologize, she wanted to yell at Toni, and cry and scream and maybe shove and then just kiss her because she was still there to do it. Kiss her until they were both breathless and Cheryl didn’t have to think about the pain anymore, not in her head or her heart.

“Hey,” she said quietly and didn’t move as Toni turned around to face her. “That for me?”

A voice startled her from behind, not even realizing Cheryl was awake, let alone had the energy to come see where she had wandered off to. Toni ducked her chin to her chest, quickly swiping away any residue her tears had left on her cheeks. She turned, resting her lower back against the counter, her hands tucked behind her, gripping the ledge. She waited for Cheryl to look at her, nodding instead of responding. She stood still, feeling her heart pick up it’s pace until it was beating so hard she was surprised she couldn’t feel her face flushing with the anger and anxiety that was storming her insides.

Cheryl didn't need words or even the tense muscles in Toni's body to tell her that the Serpent was livid. She didn't know how long it would take the girl to finally speak up and tell her that it was over, that Toni couldn't keep riding along on this toxic merry-go-round. They'd laugh and be elated with each other on one turn and the next Cheryl would feel her darkness take over and Toni would lose her smile. But then they'd come around another corner and the smiles would return. It only took a matter of time before they'd turn into the weight of the darkness again and each time, Cheryl would hold her breath to see if this time Toni was too tired to keep putting on smiles for her. The Blossom felt a numbness in her body, her mind the only thing keeping her aware that she was still alive, finally blinking some semblance of life back into her eyes at the sound of Toni's voice.

"Where'd you get it, Cheryl?" the Serpent questioned quietly, but her tone was more stern than Cheryl had ever heard, still not able to make eye contact with the redhead.

The redhead exhaled shakily. She wouldn't have to answer the 'why' just yet. "Ghoulies."

Cheryl could tell Toni was literally shaking beneath her skin in anger. But she wasn't like Cheryl. Toni could control her emotions in a way the Blossom had never been trained to do. The redhead's tongue would be flying a mile a minute, berating the smaller girl into dust, had roles been reversed. Cheryl would have marched forward, maybe thrown something, any physical display she could make to further intimidate her partner into understanding how wrong and how hurt she had been by such a decision. But as Toni's jaw was clenched and her pupils were dilating quickly, other than those primal reactions, the toned body seemed to be in complete control of the mental process of her anger. The Vixen sat still, growing more and more anxious at how Toni would respond. Cheryl knew anger, she knew explosiveness, but the longer she had to wait, through the calm, the less she knew what to expect. It was as if Toni was calculating the perfect response to cut Cheryl loose, to put her back in the place that she deserved, damaged and alone where she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else but herself again.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice," Toni's voice was small. "I can stand here and lecture you on how disappointed I am-- How hurt I am that you're still choosing to not talk to me, that you had to turn to fucking Jingle Jangle instead. I can bring up that it's so unhealthy the way you won't just learn how to communicate with me-- But you did--"

A sudden sob cracked in Toni's chest as the girl's resolve absolutely crumbled, startling Cheryl in her seat. The Blossom had prepared for just about every possible way this could have gone sideways, tracing her mind through all the scenarios, but this was simply not one of them. Watching Toni's small frame curl into itself as tears streamed through the gaps in the fingers covering her face, Cheryl exhaled a breath she realized she had been holding in for too long. Toni whimpered against her palms one final time, shaking her head and sucked in a breath to turn it off. And at once, Toni was back in control of those emotions, something Cheryl was definitely intimidated of for the first time in her life.

Still with traces of tears on her cheeks, Toni resumed her earlier thought, pushing off of the counter to step closer to Cheryl, who instinctively flinched in response, immediately feeling guilty when Toni's words were still soft and apologetic. "You _did_ try to tell me. And I just wasn't listening. All along, I was the one that wasn't trying to learn how to communicate with you. You made so much more of an effort than I gave you credit for and I-- I let you down. Cheryl, I'm so sorry--"

" _I'm_ sorry, TT."

Cheryl stood immediately to meet Toni in her stride, their bodies colliding. Cheryl’s arms found their home around the Serpent's neck, but this time Toni's body reacted on it’s own accord and she tensed. It was subtle, but there. Toni took a slow deep breath, willing herself to find the strength to reach around to reciprocate without feeling like she’d break the other girl.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to. This isn’t about me-- I should have understood that sooner.” Dropping her hands to rest weakly on the redhead's hips, Toni let out a breath and pulled the girl against her. The realization made waves of nausea roll through Toni's stomach, finally understanding that this was more than surface words of encouragement, that Toni couldn't just make things better by holding Cheryl in the middle of the night. "You need to forgive yourself. I-- I can't do that for you, Cheryl. But I want to meet you halfway. We're gonna get you through this, I promise."

"I'm going to tell you all about him. I'm going to tell you everything there is to know about it-- About _me_ ," the Blossom whispered a sure promise in response.

The redhead knew almost all of Toni's past, her struggles and what made her, her. But until they stood there together, experiencing what was a new rock bottom for the Blossom, she hadn't so much uttered anything about her darkness to Toni. So as Cheryl wrapped herself deeper against Toni's petite frame, they _finally_ started the conversation. They were both raw and vulnerable, seeing that communicating with each other would take sacrifice, and that they'd continue to sometimes misunderstand each other, but most importantly, they were going to be all in, visiting the darkest corners of each other's minds, vowing to stand side by side as they looked towards the light, _together_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a hot mess. 
> 
> I've been struggling with some major writers block. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm not connecting the dots to their story as well as I had envisioned. I feel like I'm lacking direction and losing the story, kinda just rambling on about the same old vicious cycle. 
> 
> Anybody feel the same? Should I maybe take a little break?


	16. Well, That's Shallow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've heard your pleas, and we're gonna start lightning things up around here towards the end of the chapter. Let's see if we can't get these two love birds back on track, hmm?

  
Saturday was a tough day to get through, Cheryl feeling like she had given herself an ultimatum which of course came with a time restraint. Toni although patient, had also been resilient, chipping away at Cheryl's truth, even as the Blossom could tell from the pained look on her face that the smaller girl was struggling to remain unfazed by Cheryl's reluctance to immediately uncover all of her demons. Still battling with the selfish need for Toni to stay, Cheryl bit down on a perfectly manicured pinky nail, deciding which would be the end of them sooner; Sharing just how dark her past had been, or pretending still that she was fully emancipated from those pains. She could feel her throat start to tighten and her muscles tense while Toni pulled her closer to her chest. They'd been playing '21 questions' with Cheryl's back pressed against Toni's torso, all the while tan fingers combed through her hair repeatedly, scratching soothingly at her scalp at the beginning of each rotation.

"What was your favorite activity as a kid?" Toni started off slowly, having plenty of experience that if pushed too far, too quickly, Cheryl would retreat just as fast as they had come to the agreement to play the impromptu game.

Toni knew to be patient with the girl wrapped in her clutch. She knew that they'd already had more than a few missteps with each other, and they weren't always quick to forgive when miscommunication had lead them astray. She fought against her better instinct that their relationship was already wound too tightly in a toxic tornado and tried to swallow the lump in her throat that maybe she'd been part of the problem. The Serpent felt like she'd been kind, nurturing and attentive, playing into the soft side of Cheryl that everyone else rarely, if ever, had seen. Yet Cheryl had refused to budge when it came down to sharing, out loud, more than surface level emotions. It was a blow to Toni's ego for starters, but the slow burn in her chest had come from the lack of regard towards her need for a working partnership, a healthy one with true lines of communication. The thrum of their bodies pressed against one another was a sure fire signal that the pink haired girl had made the right decision in sticking it out, in trying a different approach with the redhead, even while Cheryl stumbled through her thoughts. She was connected to Cheryl, beyond words, beyond secrets and darkness buried deep, but it wouldn't last forever. It couldn't. Toni wouldn't let even her soulmate continue on treating her as if she weren't worthy of knowing the things that held Cheryl captive in her own mind. And she wouldn't allow Cheryl to continue treating herself like a slave to all the thoughts that were surely drilled into a young, impressionable mind to keep her from escaping to live under her own free will.

Toni had left the question fairly open, seeing just how far Cheryl would push herself, giving her every opportunity to shrug Toni off, although the girl hoped they would finally gain some footing and do the legwork to slowly pry open the doors that were shutting the both of them out.

"It most definitely was not the equestrian lessons Mother was prone to Saturday and Sunday mornings. During the winter as well, might I add."

Toni tried not to sigh deeply, instead linking her fingers with the Blossom's, trying again. "Well-- What about with Jason? Did you two ever have your own thing?"

The Serpent felt Cheryl's uncomfortable shift go rigid at the ring of her deceased sibling's name. She knew that in some way, he was the one that had sparked the uprising of Cheryl's demise over the last week or so, fishing for a happy memory of the two to open the floodgates for a more important conversation.

"The Blossom's aren't known for being partial to _fun_ , per se."

This time Toni didn't hold back her sigh, dropping Cheryl's hand and gently moving the taller frame to sit up on the sofa. "Maybe we should just take a break--"

" _No!_  Toni. I'm sorry," panic rising in Cheryl's chest in a whole new capacity at the sudden loss of Toni's touch.

"Cheryl, it clearly makes you uncomfortable to talk about him--" a huff of agitation rising in her voice.

The redhead slammed her eyes shut and willed a new image of her brother to flash behind her eyes. Not one of pain and betrayal, but the one Cheryl had often found comfort in, when she couldn't face something on her own. Eye's still pressed tightly together, chest beginning to tighten with anxiety, Cheryl blurted out the first thing she _felt_ as Jason stared back at her in encouragement.

"I'm scared," Cheryl whispered. "He was the only person to ever know that I'm not this awful, demanding, loveless person that everyone else perceives me to be. Losing him was beyond a tragedy that I have not fully recovered. And it _terrifies_ me--"

Cheryl opened her eyes, pulling Toni to sit back down, cupping her chin so their eyes were level with each other. "Because what if I let you down too? Losing you would be tragedy just as devastating."

"Cher," Toni mumbled, her eyes softer than they had been a moment before.

"You see the good parts of me like he did. I see it in the way that you look at me. I couldn't possibly bear ruining that twice in my life-- Ruining _you_ the way I ruined him."

"You won't, Cher. That's why we're doing this. That's why I'm still here. Because I know deep inside you there are things that are holding you back from accepting that you're worthy of happiness. I want to know who you are in the dark. Show me the scary parts. I want to know who are you when it's three in the morning and and you're all alone, because if you can be her, then you can finally set her free."

Cheryl buried her tear stricken face into Toni's chest, knowing the other girl was right, but being afraid all the more. "What if you don't think I'm good anymore?"

"I don't think I could ever change my mind about you, Bombshell," Toni chuckled hearing Cheryl's muffled voice against her shoulder. She placed a soft, comforting kiss to Cheryl's temple, understanding it was a real concern for the redhead and wanting to show her that even through a laugh, Toni knew how serious this was for the girl. "But, you have to learn to trust me to make that decision for myself at some point, because I'm trusting you to meet me in the middle."

Toni placed her hands on Cheryl's sides to help lower them back down into their laying positions. She tucked one arm under Cheryl's neck and wrapped it around the girl's back, this time facing each other. The redhead similarly wrapped an arm around Toni's side, pursing her lips together in understanding. How she would make it happen, was beyond unclear, but all the girl knew was that she'd have to find a way.

"Now, I get that you're not used to letting people in as easily as I've been able to do, so I'm going to say something that scares _me_ , okay? I'm going to be really honest with you, even though it's something I don't want to have to tell you. And I want you to let me finish before you say anything-- If you want to, when I'm done."

Toni waited for Cheryl to nod in response. She could tell that it eased the Blossom somewhat that she was taking the lead, but somehow even that didn't ease the nerves that were washing through the Serpent's chest.

"You _really_ hurt me, Cheryl. I feel like every time we get close to pushing past the speed bumps, another mountain is sitting there for me to climb. It hurts my feelings that you doubt me-- And I wish that you could see that. I wish you could just accept the fact that you're the one I want, good or bad day, light or dark. I'm invested in this, and I feel like I've done my part to prove that to you. It's not fair to take away a chance at happiness for the both of us because you're scared, Cher. It's simply _not fair_. I'm being very clear about putting my heart on the line for you, but don't let that be confused for weakness. I won't let you keep leaving me behind to collect the pieces when things get to be too much for you. I'm going to be here for you, because you mean so much to me. But my feelings matter too. _I_ matter."

Words of honesty slowly sunk into Cheryl, confirming that her fears of losing Toni weren't just some figment on her imagination and that her self-destructive behavior wasn't solely affecting just herself anymore. This was the point where the redhead knew she itched to break free from supportive arms wrapped around her, when she felt impulsed to run like every other time she was confronted with the doubt of her worthiness. She heard, straight from nude lips, Toni's angelic voice soft but stern, how awful her behavior had been. The Vixen had swallowed thickly, not quite trusting her voice to respond, even if she knew that her heart longed for Toni to know she felt the same-- That despite her actions, Cheryl's heart only wanted to make Toni feel like she mattered.

"I-- I don't want to blame you and my intention is not to give you an ultimatum-- I just want you to know how I _feel_." Toni tried to fill the space with something other than words that could have disheartened Cheryl further.

"You _do_ matter, more than I'm capable of showing. I'm not worth--"

 _Love_.

Cheryl didn't feel like she was worth _love_ , but that word alone seemed too sacred to say in a moment like this, where Toni had showed herself fully, and the Blossom was still fighting against herself to be able to be honest in return. She'd have to find a way, a different adjective to express what she meant. Instead of running, or changing the subject, her intellect struggling to find a new path, Cheryl would breathe through it and be worthy of herself, of her truth.

"I don't feel as though someone of my nature-- Of my breed-- Is deserving of you. At first maybe you interpreted my behavior as the elitist clashing of classes, dawning from opposite sides of the tracks," Cheryl sighed, recounting the fight they'd had when Toni called her out near the bleachers of the football field. "Then perhaps due to my tryst with Veronica. But overwhelmingly so, my subconscious is unabashedly aware that someone as pure as you could not possibly suffer by the side of someone as devious and selfish as I. Yet, here you lay, pleading for me to break the cycle of beliefs that have been ingrained into my every motivation."

"Maybe if I knew the 'why' then I'd have a better chance of showing you that you are more than capable of creating new beliefs for yourself."

"Jason--" The one thing Cheryl had never told a single soul that ever lived, was that Jason had been part of the reason she felt so worthless about herself. "I feel an unbearable amount of guilt that I feel as though I do. But he's the reason I've never been adequate enough. My father always thought him to be the true heir to the family business. The pride of our name. JJ commanded a presence that was all too natural for me to ever possess-- Mine being wicked and forced in an attempt to keep up with him. I sweat tirelessly for years to become any semblance of the athlete he was. But even becoming the head of the River Vixen's was no feat in comparison to the grace he held as the quarterback of the football team. My mother never had to reprimand him, unless it was because he chose to take the blame for something I'd done. He was adored, by everyone-- Most of all myself. But I was still jealous. It was the reason I let him leave without a bigger fight. And now he's gone, because at least some sliver of my dark, twisted, loveless soul wanted to know what it'd be like to be out from under his shadow. I'm to blame for his loss-- Almost as if he knowingly made that final sacrifice for me. And I relentlessly feel more guilt that he will never get the opportunities that I still have. It was supposed to be me who perished, not him."

Toni clutched tighter to the redhead, breathing slowly to keep calm at just how transparent Cheryl was being with her feelings. It had to have been an absolute mind-fuck to love someone so much and have them ripped away the way Jason had been from his twin. And furthermore, it had to have been completely suffocating to feel as though losing the most important person in your world was your fault. Just as the pink haired girl was wrapping her mind around what Cheryl had shared, she heard one more whisper that made the heaviness of the confession that much more daunting.

"I've never told anyone that," Cheryl spoke, not being brave enough to look at Toni, knowing that if she did, only a disapproving look from chocolate eyes would be staring back at her. Instead, she berated herself for uttering one of her darkest truths. "I don't deserve to know that kind of goodness from anyone again."

"Feeling those things, like jealousy and guilt, it's human nature, Cher. Everybody feels that about something at some point. It's what you do with those feelings that make you who you are. I'm not saying that you just have to get over it and not feel like that anymore, but you can't let it hold you back forever."

Cheryl nodded against Toni again, but somehow the Serpent didn't feel like she'd been convincing enough to have the response be as genuine as she'd hoped.

"Wouldn't he want you to be happy? Think about who Jason was, at his core. Don't you think after all the things he took the blame for that he would still want you to be okay? I don't know the details about what happened and why he tried to leave, but in the aftermath of it all, don't you still believe that he's still here with you, wanting to make sure you're still protected?"

It took a second for Cheryl to mull it over, but from Toni's point of view, it had actually started to make sense. Jason wasn't with her in the physical world, but Cheryl did still solemnly believe that he would always want what was best for her. And now in his absence, Toni was there with her, wanting the same things. The redhead relaxed into Toni's body, nodding again, this time with more confidence.

"He would have loved you."

Toni grinned into Cheryl's hair, clutching her close as they both felt a warmth surround them. Maybe at Cheryl's words, maybe at Jason agreeing.

* * *

They spent the rest of the weekend, repeating the cycle of Toni asking a harmless question and Cheryl teetering on the fence until she finally caved and opened up about something that made her uncomfortable to revisit. She'd shared that she was caught between wanting the approval from her mother so badly, she felt compelled to remain the wicked head-bitch-in-charge at Riverdale High, and wanting to be free of her completely, using manipulation to banish her from Thistlehouse altogether. Cheryl, through sobs, had told Toni of a puppy love she had known at the ripe age of thirteen, when her mother had discovered how deviant her truest desires had been. The youngest Blossom twin had struggled to find the words to admit to Toni that amidst only wanting to feel normal for loving who she would love, she still desperately craved her mother's approval. She wanted Penelope to love the girl she ended up falling in love with. She wanted her family to be one that was supportive and understanding. Cheryl wanted to be valued, for who she was, not for what image she could carry. Toni had held the redhead through the anguish of clashing dreams, heartbreakingly knowing that Cheryl would most likely never get both. Realization had crashed over Toni, finally understanding why Cheryl had been so obsessed with making things right for her and the Serpent's. It was because the Blossom knew on a painstaking level what it was like to have to choose love over a family, and as selfish as it may have been for the redhead to want to fix it because she couldn't fulfill her own fantasies with the Blossom clan, Toni knew Cheryl was just trying to protect her from having to feel the same.

Toni had spoken aloud how she felt about Cheryl's mindless actions during the preparation to the drag race, another grain of salt being swallowed on each end. She didn't want Cheryl to feel unappreciated, but the Serpent would stand her ground and continue to enlighten the girl that there were other ways to go about solving emotional burdens like those. She shared how alone she had been feeling, and how the end result wasn't all there was to be sought after. The journey to a victory was as important as the outcome, Toni squeezing at Cheryl's hand with reassurance as she made that example relevant to the work they had been doing over the last few days.

Come Monday, Cheryl had cried out what seemed like half her weight in tears, opting for a cucumber infused water instead of her morning coffee or tea to replenish the loss. Toni had lovingly tried to prepare some overnight oats the night prior, although she would have just preferred bacon and eggs from Pop's instead. She wanted to try new things for Cheryl, because Cheryl was trying new things for her, so she picked at the chia seeds and raspberries with a look of disgust on her face, earning her a chuckle and a kiss to her forehead as they found nourishment enough to go their separate ways once back at school. Albeit spending nearly the whole week with each other, and the weekend incessantly wrapped in each other, they were going to try it again, parting ways to ensure they-- Mostly Cheryl-- could stand on their own confidently without the crutch of each other when things got messy.

Monday was awkward, Tuesday was better. Wednesday Cheryl cracked a laugh in AP Lit that warmed Toni's heart and by Thursday, the click of heels was back without the false bravado of someone that was just trying to mask insecurities and pain. Friday, Toni had heard Cheryl snap at Archie from down the hallway.

"Cheryl, would you ever date a guy shorter than you?"

"No," came a simple, disgusted reply.

"Well, that's shallow."

"Archie, I'm _gay_ ," Cheryl's quick-witted reply came with such confidence that it made Veronica choke on her vanilla latte through a surprised chuckle, Kevin's jaw hanging slack and Betty's eyes going wide.

"I _knew_ it," Kevin whispered in awe as the queen of Riverdale clacked off towards her next class.

She'd briefly made eye contact with Toni at the end of the opposite hall, the look of Toni's adoration giving her the extra boost of confidence she needed to be proud of herself rather than internalize how terrifying it could have been to come out to her friends. That's when Toni knew that their work had been paying off and that they had a fighting chance after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I truly appreciate all the support and feedback I've been getting. I'm thankful for the critiques, even if it's scary to receive constructive criticism, because it's only going to make me a better storyteller and I want this to be cohesive for as many readers as I can. I want to thank those who have stuck by Toni relentlessly and those who have pushed me out of this funk equally.
> 
> Please continue to let me know if I'm steering us back in the right direction. 
> 
> Love you all,  
> \--Grace


	17. Hmm, Sometimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!

  
[ 2:07 PM text **Toni Topaz** ] : Did you just come out to Archie Andrews?

[ 2:08 PM text **Toni Topaz** ] : That was SO Cheryl Blossom. And that was SO badass.

[ 2:08 PM text **Toni Topaz** ] : Also I'm kinda turned on right now.

A blush crept up Cheryl's neck as Toni's name flashed across the screen of her phone, once, twice and thrice. First, a lip bite to fight a smile. Second, a smile transforming into a wicked smirk she wished Toni could bear witness to. And by the third text, the redhead could feel how uncomfortably hot her body had become. The girl couldn't deny that the shift inside of her came at just the sight of Toni's name on her phone, but it was a wonder how the Serpent could have that affect on her, even buried away in some room, probably clear on the other side of the school--

" _Ah!_ " Cheryl's shriek startled even herself, dropping her phone to the ground and violently whipping her head around to accost whoever had the audacity to first of all startle her and second of all, put their hands on her body. Cheryl slapped at one of the tiny hands gripping at the left side of her waist and spun around to break free from the one that had found purchase on her right side, hand raised in anger.

"Good Lord!" Cheryl reprimanded with a dirty scowl, lowering her hand once she realized who had snuck up on her. "I literally could have killed you right now!"

Toni bent down to retrieve Cheryl's phone from the sidewalk, still rolling with laughter at the deep flush on Cheryl's chest. "Oh, please, Blossom. You couldn't take me down even if you tried."

Cheryl rolled her eyes in response, pushing at Toni's shoulder lightly. "Besides the point. You should never startle someone who is clearly engaged in personal matters," she grumbled, holding out her hand and nodding towards her phone. "What are you even doing out here?"

A smirk grew larger on Toni's face, handing Cheryl's phone back to her. "I have free period right now, so I came to find you. Couldn't miss the look on your face when you got that last 'personal matter' now could I?"

The furious blush was back on Cheryl's cheeks, snatching her phone back from Toni and pushing her again. "You're insufferable."

"And you're cute when you're mad," Toni shot back, stepping in towards Cheryl. "You're also cute when you're reading my texts. But then again, I'm starting to think you're kinda just always cute."

By the time Toni was finished, she had Cheryl's back pressed against the wall of the building they were standing behind, her hands finding the Blossom's hips again, but this time the front of them, pressing her body against the taller girl's. Cheryl shifted her weight into Toni's touch, still blushing furiously, despite knowing she wasn't quite ready to talk her way out of it if they were caught in such a compromising situation. She hooked her finger's into the lining of Toni's leather jacket and pulled her so close that their hips rested against one another's and their chests were nearly touching.

"And _I'm_ starting to think you're a liar, Toni Topaz. Cute? You think _cute_ has got you pressing me up against a wall like this?" Cheryl hummed with an eyebrow raised, a wicked smile on her cherry red lips as she gently wrapped a hand around the column of a tan throat, sliding up until her fingers pulled Toni's chin to the point that her face was turned up towards the redhead's. Cheryl licked her lips, just an inch between her own and the rough, chapped lips of the Serpent's.

_There she is._

The Cheryl Blossom that had her claws in Toni before the tears and before the insecurities and before the darkness. This was the Cheryl Blossom that had caught Toni's attention. The softer, more vulnerable side of Cheryl had captured Toni's heart, but seeing Cheryl start to find herself again was such a huge turn on for the smaller girl that she had half the mind to ravish her right out in the open during school hours. She might have been joking when she sent Cheryl that third text, but the show of confidence from the Vixen was certainly guaranteeing it's truth, right then and there.

Toni groaned, Cheryl feeling powerful at the vibrations of the Serpent's vocal chords against her hand. The redhead moved her thigh between Toni's legs, pulling her even closer and smirked when Toni muttered her name, followed by a deep inhale.

" _Fuck_ , Bombshell," Toni breathed, crashing her lips hard against Cheryl's.

The Blossom smirked wider against Toni's lips, reaching down to get a handful of a deliciously sculpted backside before pulling out of the kiss and pushing Toni away. "That's what I thought, Topaz."

Toni saw stars behind her eyelids, stumbling back a bit before she could open them and catch up to what was really happening. The smaller girl sucked in a deep breath and huffed out an incredulous chuckle. She had definitely thought coming into their meeting that she had the upper hand, but the quick turn of events had the once confident Serpent breathing heavily and wanting to chase after Cheryl even more.

"See you around, _Serpent_ ," Cheryl smirked once more before pushing off the wall and waltzing away.

Toni's jaw hung slack, watching the sultry sway of Cheryl's hips as she was left standing alone in the middle of the sidewalk. She chuckled in amusement at the way Cheryl had called her a Serpent which two months ago would have been slander, but now marveling in the fact that Cheryl had made it sound so _sexy_ , like it was something about Toni that she actually enjoyed. She turned her back to rest against the wall and brought a hand to her lips as if she were willing the tingle to never subside. It was crazy to think that just a week ago, those hips were sitting in her lap as the girl sobbed uncontrollably. It was even crazier to think that Toni had ever for a second doubted that if anyone could pull themselves out of that, it was the redheaded goddess that was strutting through the doors of the gymnasium. The Serpent shook her head with a smile dancing across her corners of her lips. They had a long road to go, but by the looks of it, Cheryl Blossom was well on her way to making a stand to be the strong willed and undeniable creature of beauty and grace that Toni knew she could be, and _more_.

* * *

Toni's hands worked diligently, drying glasses and setting them to the side for the better part of the last hour during her shift at the Whyte Wyrm. She'd noticed that some of her black nail polish had chipped while she loaded up the dish washer and pulled out the fresh glasses about an hour back, but as her last hour ticked away, she leaned her elbows against the bar top and picked away at them, mindless about her physical actions while her mind wandered off to earlier in the afternoon when Cheryl had her speechless. She chuckled to herself, staring at her hands when Sweet Pea shot a look over at her with confusion.

"What's so funny, short stack?"

"Oh-- Hmm? No. Nothing. Just thinking," Toni mumbled back, straightening up to stand behind the bar and stretch out her back.

"About your _giiiirlfriend_?" Fangs chimed in, earning him a middle finger in return.

"Shut up! She's not my girlfriend, idiot."

"Oh, okay, _sure_ she's not, Tiny," Sweet Pea rolled his eyes as he replied sarcastically. "She was totally thinking about her _girlfriend_ ," Sweet Pea whispered back towards the other Serpent boy and mimicked Fang's teasing tone as he fist bumped him. Toni tried to reach over the bar to swat at them both for laughing, but failing by a half an arm's length, sighing in agitation.

"Gotta grow a few inches first, Tiny."

"Yeah, shorty." Fangs scoffed at Toni before turning back to Sweets. "Bet they haven't even kissed yet because she can't reach Blossom's lips."

That earned Fangs a quick jab to the stomach, Toni hopping up and getting her knee on the bar top just in time to hurl herself over and tackle him before he got away. Sweet Pea had dodged the tiny body lunging at him but just barely as he doubled over in laughter. She turned towards him next, reaching for him but even in his relaxed state, he was able to palm her forehead and keep her away.

"That's probably why Toni's making that weird-girly-day-dream face all the time. She's dreaming about actually being able to kiss Cheryl," Sweet Pea laughed out, still trying to hold Toni back.

"Oh, Cheryl, _kiss me_." Fangs imitated Toni, kissing the back of his hand like a middle school pre-teen. "Cheryl, mmm, _Cheryl_ \-- Wait, you're too tall." Fang pouted at his hand like a kid who'd had his toy taken away from him.

Heels clacked against the wooden floor of the bar, followed by a snarky voice that had just enough playful energy behind it not to be deemed offensive. "It's not actually uncommon for Toni to mimic that exact face when she is denied my lips due to her stature. Although she's got _much_ better technique when she succeeds."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Sweet Pea rolled his eyes, Toni crashing into his tall frame when he let go while his attention drifted over to their unexpected visitor. He chuckled again, pushing Toni off of him.

"Cher?" Toni turned to meet the wide smirk on Cheryl's face. "Not you too. I'll fight you the same as him, Blossom."

"Please," Cheryl tossed her red locks over her shoulder with an eye roll. "You know I'd win, considering you have to tippy toe just to kiss me."

Another roar of laughter between the two boys erupted, Toni scowling at all three of them and crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"Oh, quit your temper tantrum. You know how much I _adore_ when I get to bring your lips up to meet mine," Cheryl dropped her tone seductively, stepping between the boys to press a lingering kiss to Toni's cheek, her thumb grazing the column of Toni's throat while her hand snaked around to cup the nape of Toni's neck.

Toni gulped visibly, her cheeks just a tint of pink shading her skin as Fangs whistled to himself and Sweet Pea averted his eyes and cleared his throat. The smallest Serpent chuckled nervously, meeting Cheryl's hand at the back of her neck to take it in her own and keep them clasped together back at her side, the redhead's smirk not lost on Toni in even the slightest.

"So-- Um, Cheryl. What are you doing here? I mean-- Not that I'm complaining, I'm just surprised," Fangs spoke up to try and clear some of the sexual tension in the air and remind the girls that there was still an audience around them. The boys had noticeably seen how invested Toni was in Cheryl, but it wasn't always as clear that the Northsider was equally invested in every aspect of Toni's life. That was until the girl had brazenly shown up on the Southside of her own accord.

"I figured Toni and I had some catching up to do for Lit and I knew she was working tonight, so I came by to see if you wanted to join me back at Thistlehouse when you're done here," Cheryl replied, tugging gently on the Serpent's hand as she turned to address her.

"Oh, babe. I can't tonight. Sweet's sister is working graveyard and it's our turn to watch his nephew. It's kinda boys night--"

" _Babe?_ " Fangs silently mouthed over at Sweet Pea, who also cocked his head to the side in intrigue at the pet name. Sweet Pea just shrugged back, looking just as confused.

"Oh, not to worry. It was presumptuous of me to assume you weren't already obligated--"

"You can come hang out if you want," Fangs jumped in.

"She can?" Sweet Pea and Toni questioned in unison.

Fangs rolled his eyes at the pair of them, Sweet's finally shrugging and nodding his approval.

"We're probably just gonna play Mario Kart and watch a scary movie, but you're welcome to if you want."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose or be a burden."

Cheryl looked tentatively over at Toni, not wanting to overstep her boundaries. The smaller girl just smiled and nodded, but not before pointing a finger towards her in warning. "One condition. No studying."

"I feel as though I shouldn't be opposed to becoming accustomed to the ways of school nights on the Southside if I intend to spend more time with you hooligans."

Toni and Sweet Pea blatantly gawked at Cheryl, who stood perfectly still, finding no reason to not find all the confidence in her stance as she did in her words.

"Thought she _wasn't_ your girlfriend."

“ _Fangs!_ What the _fuck,_ dude?”

“What? Why else would she want to spend time on this side? And apparently you guys kiss an awful lot for not being girlfriends.” Fangs obliviously snapped back. In his mind, it seemed a fair question to ask, especially because it seemed that even Toni, with red lipstick pressed to her cheek, was just as surprised to see Cheryl in the Wyrm as they were.

“You need to learn how to read the room, dude,” Sweet Pea snickered, taking a deep swing of his beer.

Toni balled her tiny hand into a fist, ready to pounce on her friend for an entirely different reason than she had before. The harmless teasing about the nature of her relationship with Cheryl was fine when it was just her ass on the line, but as the redhead stood surprisingly amongst them, the smallest Serpent suddenly felt much more anxiety about calling it to attention so blatantly. Toni side eyed Cheryl, loosening the grip on her hand in case it was suddenly all happening too fast. Instead the redhead surprised her even further, tightening her grip to accommodate for the loss.

“At ease, TT. Fogarty makes a valid point.” She squeezed Toni’s hand once more for reassurance before continuing. “Although I’d much prefer to keep the progression of our relationship between us, I think I owe it to them to be honest about my intentions.”

Cheryl smirked towards Fangs as she gently pat him on the shoulder and moved around him to take a seat on a bar stool. Her long, pale legs were dangerously on show beneath the high waisted black shorts as she crossed one over the other and leaned her back against the bar top. Toni leaned against the counter from her standing position as well, curious as to where Cheryl’s words would transport them. Just as she was surprised that the Blossom has shown up unannounced, she was confounded that her anxiety quelled at how composed the redhead seemed to be. It was almost as if she were actually _comfortable_ , sitting in what would be considered a dive bar to such a pampered and overindulged Northsider, being called into question by not one, but three gang members. It wasn’t Cheryl’s first time in the den of the Serpent family, but it was the first time she had chosen to traverse the border between safe and unsavory on her own accord. There was no emergency or no Trojan horse in the form of a Southside cavalry riding her in; Cheryl was risking not only her safety but her elitist Northside reputation in full confidence. Not to mention, the never-ending question they danced around fully addressing in regards to an actual title to what the girls were doing with each other.

“Well, as I'm sure you’ve been witness to the countless times Toni has come to tend to me on the Northside, I believe it’s quite fair to say I haven’t reciprocated the effort nearly as enthusiastically. But as we're growing to know more about each other, I would like to start spending more time with her here, in her world. I also feel as though my family has conditioned me to believe the Southside and it's community is of nothing but a bunch of miscreants and heartless, conniving individuals. However, I've seen for myself, in part, to be untrue. You've been nothing but kind to me, even when I've been heartless and conniving myself, because you care so deeply for Toni. I want to know more of that-- Real loyalty. The real Southside, for myself. I would also really enjoy the privilege of knowing you boys, aside from being Toni's tag-along. That is, if you would allow me."

"So you want to date _all_ of us?" Fangs challenged, feigning oblivion in his childish ploy to get a rise out of Cheryl, or Toni.

"Well, you bunch aren't the worst on the eyes--" Cheryl challenged back, seeing right through his ruse, a wicked smirk on her lips as she leaned in closer towards Fangs.

"Get away from her--" Toni leaned past Cheryl to knock Fangs away from leaning in closer to the redhead at her testy reply. "She wants to be your _friend_ , stupid."

Sweet Pea was the first to crack the tension with a laugh, noting the disgusted look on Toni's face. "She already fits right in, Topaz. And now we'll get insider information on how to gang up on you. Stick around, Blossom. We can share trade secrets."

Toni let her head sink into her hand, her elbow digging into the wood of the bar top as she shook her head into her palm. "I hate all three of you."

"Oh, c'mon, _babe_ \--" Fangs cooed, pushing Toni's limit. "We'd be such a cute quadruple."

"Okay, _enough!_ " Toni whined, heat rushing to her face as the three others filled the room with boisterous laughs.

* * *

Cheryl's incessant need for perfection seemed to have the opposite affect on Sweet Pea and Fangs as it did on Toni. Although never having played a single video game in her life, the redhead had successfully and quickly learned how to manipulate the game to work in her favor, leaving all three other players in the dust, the last four games they played. Toni laughed at Fangs who'd thrown his controller down like a sore loser and practically drooled on herself watching the pretentious confidence of the Blossom as she wiped the floor clean with Sweet Pea's outstanding record of 'Tournament King' as both Sweet's and his nephew whined and threw themselves back against the couch cushions at the devastating loss.

"I don't see how this could be entertaining for hours outside of the fact that you boys throw hissy fits worse than mine," Cheryl badgered, holding her controller out for Fangs to take. He simply crossed his arms and huffed, getting up to look for a DVD he could play instead to make Cheryl jump and hide and then have reoccurring nightmares about.

"You'll get yours, Red. Just you wait--" His finger landing on a stolen RedBox copy of 'The Hills Have Eyes.'

"Relax, Fangs. You're never this sore when Sweet Pea beats you. Besides, you're the one that invited her," Toni reminded with a chuckle.

"And if she wants to be one of the boys, then she has to sit through boys night, just like the rest of us. Right Knox?"

The seven year old giggled and threw his fists into awaiting palms of an older Serpent father figure. "Right," he nodded surely, with the final blow to Fangs' right hand, the older boy shaking his hand and yelping as if it had actually hurt him, encouraging the young boy as a lion father would to a teething cub.

"But Thyrl _isn't_ a boy like the rest of us," the missing two front teeth causing a lisp around Cheryl's name.

"Hey!" Toni yelped, shooting out of her seat to wrap her arms around the boy and swinging him around before tackling him gently onto the cushions of the couch. "I'm not a boy either, nose picker."

Through giggles, the seven year old fought back, trying to tickle Toni the way she was tickling him. "Yeah, but you don't _act_ like a girl. And you even _like_ girls like boys do. Plus, she's _real_ pretty like a girl."

Toni gasped, her hand covering her heart as if she'd been shot in the chest. "Who's teaching you this stuff, huh? You don't have to act any type of way to still be a boy or a girl, munchkin. And you definitely don't have to be a boy to like girls. In fact, _that_ pretty girl happens to kinda like _me_."

Knox hastily swung around to look at the redhead as if she were going to dispel the rumors Toni was speaking to him, eyes wide, waiting for a definitive answer.

"Hmm. Sometimes," Cheryl shrugged nonchalantly at the little boy.

The older boys laughed yet again at Toni's expense, the Serpent girl's jaw hanging unhinged at Cheryl's noncommittal shrug. Cheryl chuckled to herself, shaking her head before standing to sit back down next to Toni and swing an arm around her shoulder.

"She's absolutely right, though. Boys can like boys and girls can like girls, no matter what they look like or how they act. You're allowed to be on the outside how you feel on the inside and you're allowed to kiss anyone that helps you feel like that's okay. Plus, isn't she really pretty too?"

"Ew, no!" Knox stuck his tongue out in disgust, looking over at Toni who was scowling back at him.

"Well, _I_ think she's the _prettiest_ ," Cheryl replied, kissing Toni's cheek gently and interlacing their fingers which caused Knox to scrunch up his face in distaste again.

"Alright, guy. Time to get ready for bed," Sweet Pea ushered him up and around the coffee table towards the hall.

The boy took Sweet's hand and paused to look up for just a moment. "Fangs makes you feel like you can be yourself on the outside. Do you kiss him too?"

Sweet Pea ruffled the hair atop the youngest boy's head, nudging him towards the bedroom to change into his pajamas and shrugged. "Hmm. Sometimes--"

This time it was Toni's turn to bust into a rolling laugh, a pillow hitting Sweet Pea's back by way of Fang's best slingshot. It warmed Cheryl to the fullest, seeing just how comfortable the little family was with each other, even going as far as to bend little truths for the greater good of the future of the Southside-- Of humanity. These weren't people who were any more delinquent or uneducated than anyone of the Northside, just different. Just trying a different path to make a way for themselves. Maybe even different and paving a path in a better way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've obviously taken some time to really breathe and take a break from I'd Love to find a renewed love for my creation. I've tried a few times to sit and write but it kinda felt forced for me, so I wanted to wait for it to feel natural to revisit these characters and let it come back around in a way that felt best for me and how I feel this story will continue to unfold. 
> 
> I just really want to thank the supporters of this story and the supporters of me for really just giving me the balls to not give a fuck and to write because writing makes me happy. You the real MVP's


	18. Fourth of October

It had been a whirlwind of a night for Cheryl, the air quickly turning cooler as the season began to change. As the rest of the boys finally settled down for the evening, the redhead reveled in the feeling of black Hanes socks on her feet, snuggling closer against Toni's body on the pull out bed that had once retained the shape of the sofa they sat playing video games on. It was so simple; A far cry from what luxuries she had been afforded in her own home at Thistlehouse, yet the simplicity of it all kept her heart warm even as the night chill threatened to engulf them in the trailer park. Alone under a thick flannel blanket, Toni's sleepy voice had lowered to a raspy whisper.

"Are you comfy?"

Cheryl's face hadn't immediately broken into a smile, her mind still wandering around how a mere four hours with a group of people, just months ago she wouldn't have even bothered glancing at, had begun to help shape her mentality. There was genuine compassion and love in the nights event, even as there were moments of mischief and jokes at her expense. Three teenage miscreants had been so quick to be open and benevolent with an impressionable young mind, no hesitation in fostering such a nurturing environment for such a heavily weighted and important topic. Cheryl Blossom had never experienced such a thing, being constantly reminded that deviant behavior, let alone conversation, was not something to indulge in, _ever_.

"I know it's not like-- Your style, or whatever--" Toni's continued at the lack of Cheryl's response. Her voice wasn't quite unsure and still radiated a sort of confidence unique to the Serpent, which Cheryl appreciated, but it wasn't lacking concern either. The Blossom hummed, letting slender fingers intertwine with her own, her feet tucking up against the shorter girl's and lacing their legs together, similar to the way their fingers had.

"Hush," Cheryl coaxed, running a foot up the back of Toni's calf. "This may not be of _Blossom_ standards, but this is more than adequate for _me_. I'll trade central heating for socks a hundred times over if it means I get to spend it with people who realize the value of life isn't dependent on what kind of warmth you find at night," Cheryl stated confidently, poking a sock covered toe into Toni's calf to accentuate her point. "Or where you lay your head to rest."

Even in the dark trailer, only lit by the moonlight shining through the window, the redhead took in the way Toni's head quirked to the side against her pillow, an intrigued smile spreading across her lips. Cheryl bit her bottom lip, a slow smile forming in return. A slight shiver spread goosebumps along her porcelain skin as she swallowed a lump forming in the column of her throat. This girl, rough around the edges and so self assured, was still so _soft_. Her natural beauty was just as much a wonder as the way the smaller girl was wordlessly looking back at her.

"What?" Cheryl whispered, finally letting her teeth unclench their grip on her lip.

A small hand snuck up from beneath the thick blanket to rest against Cheryl's cheek, a soft thumb spreading smoothly against the skin beneath it. "Just, even after everything-- You still surprise me. I just never imagined when I met you that you'd be content in a place like this."

A soft chuckle left Cheryl's pillowy lips. She turned slightly to press a chaste kiss to the palm of Toni's hand. "To be transparently honest, neither did I. But I'm more than just content, TT. I'm elated."

"Even though this lot tried to scare you to bits over that movie?" Toni questioned incredulously.

"Ironically enough, that's part of what me feel at peace here. When people are cruel to me, it's never in an inclusive way," Cheryl chuckled again, remembering how Sweet Pea had dropped an extra pillow in her lap at the start of the film for her to hide behind. It ended up being tugged away by Fangs who jumped in fear as Cheryl sat stoic, never batting an eye. It wasn't long before they had tucked themselves in for the night, but the Vixen knew it would already be a fond memory she would look back on as one of the firsts she'd had with a family. "People, mostly my mother, they are cruel to me in a way that ignites self-destructive behavior, probably because they know no one can do harm to me in the capacity that I can inflict upon myself. But your friends-- Your _family_ \-- They exhibit a bond with each other that runs far deeper than the superficial mask of cruel intentions. Now my eyes have been opened to the truth beneath mischievous acts--"

"Everything we do is for each other," Toni finished, nodding.

"I've never been included like that before."

"Well you did great for your first boys night. I think Knox might even have a crush on you,'" Toni giggled out as Cheryl rolled her eyes and pushed Toni's hand off of her face to cuddle further into her.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll get her a Serpent jacket. Can you two shut it now?" Fangs grumbled sleepily from his spot on the floor, rolling over and throwing a pillow over his head as the girls giggled into the darkness.

* * *

The black jeans with rings down the front from the waist to the ankle caused some questionable looks in the student lounge directed at Cheryl's sudden change in style. They were paired with a floral mesh crop top and some chunky-strapped heels that blended the piece with her own lavish style, but the new edge to her look wasn't unnoticed by any of the clique that was currently scattered around her in the lounge chairs. Regardless of the exchanged looks, only one voice spoke up with enough gravitas to to break through Cheryl's poised posture and the chatter of the others.

"Trying a new look, Cheryl? It's very _sapphic_ of you," Veronica mentioned, a bite in her tone with a mischievous smirk on her face.

The redhead decidedly threw a sickeningly sweet smile at the brunette instead of a verbal response, uncrossing her legs and pivoting in the chair to re-cross them ever-so-slowly in Veronica's direction. Cheryl wasn't positive that Veronica had fully caught on that she was wearing Toni's clothes after spending a school night on the Southside, even after her verbal confirmation of her sexuality had bombarded the group just the day prior, but that was neither here nor there. Even if Veronica had put the pieces together, Cheryl's confidence hadn't wavered even for a moment, biting back just as quick.

"How-- _In tune_ of you to notice, Veronica. You would be the one here to appreciate such an aesthetic, now wouldn't you?" Cheryl's words dripping like venom from her cherry red lips. Her smile had easily transformed into a wicked smirk, the others heads starting to turn in their direction at the change of tone. Betty had an eyebrow quirked up, trying to read in between the body language and words to find the story the two girls had been telling between each other, all the while Kevin leaned in, always a sucker for a good verbal ping pong match which was clearly brewing between the two.

Veronica's eyes narrowed, her lips pursed into a thin line ready to retaliate with a verbal whiplashing for old time's sake when Josie spoke up as she rounded the arm of the chair and plopped down next to Cheryl.

"I think it's kinda hot," she stated with a nonchalant shrug. Kevin sighed and leaned back against the cushion of the sofa, disappointed there would be no back and forth due to Josie's interruption.

"Whatever inspired the new look--" Josie raised her hand in a finger gun at Cheryl, winking and clicking her tongue as if to shoot her with approval.

"You mean _whomever_ \--" Veronica mumbled in annoyance as she sipped her latte.

"Well, I didn't spend all those years in the closet for nothing," Cheryl interrupted, humming in victory and smiled again at the way Veronica rolled her eyes.

A short burst of laughter from Kevin drowned out Veronica's groan, to which only Archie had noticed. There was an underlying feeling of deja vu, like he had experienced the same type of irritation from the brunette the night of Cheryl's party at Thistlehouse. Only now, Veronica was more brazen than ever before about leaving clues as to why she let that particular redhead under her skin. As the Lodge was growing more impatient with the direction of the conversation, she began to stuff a notebook into her purse, ready to swing it over her shoulder and stomp off when a hand gently laid to rest on her knee. Archie squeezed it gently, hoping she'd stay as he shifted the conversation to the upcoming Winter Formal. The young, one track minded teens easily shifted gears, chatting about who they'd go with and where they'd spend time for their afterparty.

"Oh, the Ashland Lodge has an indoor pool that's heated!"

"I'm so down you guys!"

The excited chatter was floating around Cheryl and Veronica, but the two had never unlocked their glares from one another. It had seemingly gone unnoticed for the most part, only Archie gently squeezing Veronica's knee when she needed to respond to something or Kevin's eyebrow raised at Cheryl from the corner of her gaze at the burning intensity she was challenging the brunette with to show for. Cheryl would lower her eyes menacingly every time Veronica would hitch at Archie's touch, reveling in how uncomfortable it made her. To think they had laid this whole thing to rest was an unfortunate thought of a utopian world. Of course as soon as Veronica had caught the scent of another girl on Cheryl's skin, she'd try to sink her nasty claws right back in and drag the HBIC down again.

"So if Josie, Veronica and Betty were drowning in the pool, who would you save?"

Cheryl remained silent, focused on how forced it was of Veronica to rest her hand on Archie's as it squeezed at her knee again. A knowing smirk was all the victory Cheryl needed as her attention was called towards some place else.

"Cheryl? _Hello_ \--" Kevin called out, waving a hand in front of her gaze.

"Why would you morons be in a pool if you didn't know how to swim?" she shot back instantly as if she had been aware of the conversation, despite her laser focus on Veronica.

"It was a hypothetical, Bombshell, come on," Josie rolled her eyes. "So, who would you save?"

"My time and effort," Cheryl sneered, rolling her eyes, clearly bored of this new topic of conversation.

"Bet you'd save that new girlfriend of yours, Cheryl," Kevin prodded.

"Please. Acquaintances get together to share meals and have sleepovers to get to know each other all the time. I don't have a girlfriend."

"Cheryl, you just described two people who are dating," Kevin deadpanned.

With that, Cheryl simply rolled her eyes and threw her red locks over her shoulder before slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading out of the lounge, a few heads turning their gazes to follow her out.

"So you're bringing her to the Winter Formal?" Kevin pleaded, dying to know who the mystery girl was.

Veronica had finally had enough, pushing Archie's hand off of her and storming out of the lounge as well.

"Well _someone_ wishes they were getting that kinda action," Josie chuckled at the brunette's temper tantrum.

"Lay off, Josie. Veronica isn't jealous," Archie snapped back, tugging his own bag on his shoulder to rush after the girl.

Kevin, Josie and Betty all quirked their heads or raised an eyebrow at the redhead that was still left sitting amongst them. Josie finally cracked a haughty chuckle, "Yeah, sure. Even if _she_ weren't, now we know that _you_ are."

Betty tried to hide a cackle behind her hand, cupping her mouth while Kevin slow clapped as Archie paraded out of the room, finally getting his well deserved tea for the day.

"Definitely going to be the best Winter Formal ever."

* * *

Cheryl hadn't gotten more than half a hallway's length away before she felt a hand wrap around her bicep from behind. The redhead sighed, exasperated that she was being tugged backwards, but didn't try to fight being spun around on her heel. She knew who it was before her eyes had even met the dark orbs staring back at her. She could feel the intensity rolling off of Veronica from the second Cheryl made eye contact with her.

"I thought we were done with this, Veronica," Cheryl tugged her arm out of the brunette's clutch and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What are you doing, Cheryl?" Veronica bit back, glowering further as she searched Cheryl's face for answers.

"What ever do you mean?"

"I mean, coming out to everyone, being so blatantly obvious that you're sleeping with someone-- Or at least obvious enough to wear her clothes, to _school_ , where everyone can see. I mean, since when are you so unafraid of all of this? You used to threaten me if I even glanced at you in front of anyone. You used to tell me you'd end me if I ever let anyone know we were hooking up because if it ever got back to your mother, she'd have you sent away or whatever other dramatics you could think up. What is this bitch doing to brainwash you into thinking all of this is okay?"

Cheryl rolled her eyes and sighed again. "No one is brainwashing anyone, least of all me. How dare you insinuate that I couldn't possibly choose my own happiness of my own volition. And how dare you propose that what and _who_ I am isn't adequate enough."

"Well then why _now_ , Cheryl? I begged you to love me and to choose me, but you couldn't because you couldn't stand the thought of admitting you were 'unnatural' for sleeping with me." Veronica was getting heated, just the thought of Cheryl finally removing every roadblock as to why they couldn't be together from their path, just to do it for someone else. Those feelings of longing and desperation came shooting back to the forefront, reaching for Cheryl again. The brunette had been so desperate to control Cheryl's attention again, she didn't even notice a second redhead approaching them from behind.

"This isn't about _you_ , Veronica," the redhead slapped Veronica's hand away from her, "I might have been that scared little girl when this started between us, but I'm not anymore."

"Hey--" Archie bellowed, pulling Veronica out of Cheryl's reach, standing protectively in front of the brunette. "Don't touch her."

"Oh, poor thing doesn't even know," Cheryl faux cooed, pouting before she rolled her eyes.

"Too little too late, Andrews." Cheryl scoffed, pushing past him and continued on towards her next class, spitting venom over her shoulder at the smaller brunette who was still hiding in his shadow.

"Maybe you should be more concerned with who _you_ are and telling _your_ truth before you chastise me for it, Veronica."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Archie trying valiantly to defend the brunettes honor by stopping Cheryl with a rougher tug to her bicep than the one Veronica had given just moments ago.

"Get your filthy, neanderthal hands _off_ my body," Cheryl snapped back, now slapping his wrist the way she had slapped Veronica's.

"Archie, don't," Veronica pleaded, stepping out from behind him.

"No! What did she mean by that?" His anger was now directed at the brunette, somehow knowing from what he'd already heard that Veronica would finally deliver the final blow to his ego; His heroic act to save her soon to become a pathetic cry for her to notice him instead.

"No, he's right, V. The truth will set you free." Cheryl stated, daring Veronica to stop her with a glare before turning back towards Archie.

"She's using you as a bandaid, Andrews. She's _jealous_. But not because she wants what I have. She's jealous that I _am_ what she wants and she can't have it anymore," Cheryl smirked wickedly, turning around once and for all to leave Veronica's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

* * *

"So, I heard you got into it with Archie again," Toni chuckled, climbing into the passenger seat of Cheryl's red Chevy. "Head-Bitch-In-Charge back in action, huh?"

The Blossom started the Impala with a rumble, revving the engine before peeling out of the parking lot towards Pop's.

"Oh? And whereabouts would you have heard that, TT?" Cheryl pondered, no nervous fluctuation in her voice.

"He was throwing a fit in Mr. Labowsky's class to Kevin, who was naturally eating it all up. And he wasn't exactly being discreet about it." Toni's small body turned fully to face Cheryl, tucking her leg under herself despite being buckled in. "Anything you want to share, Bombshell?"

The redhead rolled her eye's, putting her blinker on to make a right hand turn. "He had it coming. And so did she," Cheryl grumbled.

"Hey, I'm not complaining. I'm glad you put him in his place, but--" Toni trailed off, searching for any sign that Cheryl's tough facade would surely crumble.

"But what, Toni?" Cheryl sighed knowingly.

"Just, now people are going to know you and Veronica were like-- _Doing stuff_. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I wouldn't have allowed the truth to come out if I hadn't been aware of what type of repercussions were on the cusp of spilling out. I know it'll be around the school and back by the end of the week, but I don't _care_ anymore," Cheryl exhaled around the word, letting her head drop back against the headrest of her seat.

"I'm not bothered with what people will think or what people will say to me or about me. I'm satisfied with knowing that there are people in my life who are fine with me being who I am."

Toni smiled wide enough so that her bright teeth had shown, Cheryl chuckling and cupping Toni's chin in her hand. "I'm finally right where I need to be. You've shown me that I'm still capable of being everything that I've always been and that I don't need to hide behind some mask to make that happen."

The Serpent leaned in to close the gap between she and Cheryl's lips, kissing her so hard that Cheryl jolted back in surprise. A honk from the car behind them startled them both, giggling as they settled back into their respective seats and made the rest of their journey to Pop's, not afraid of speculating glances as the rumor mill had been broken wide open by none other than the Queen Bee herself.

"Now, how about some milkshakes?" Cheryl smiled, pulling into a parking stall and grabbing Toni's hand.

"Only if you let me pay," Toni challenged back.

"You've got yourself a date, TT."

And on the fourth of October, Cheryl Blossom had allowed herself to enjoy the most natural pleasure in her world, free from restraint of consequence, in the form of her very first and very _official_ date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will probably be vv short, more of a drabble, if you will, but I kinda want it to stand alone. Exciting movement for baby choni!


	19. It Would Be Totally Metal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been sitting on this chapter for wEEkS. It. Is. Finally. Here.  
>  Pure cotton candy Choni fluff. Short, but so, so sweet.

Cheryl Blossom had done it; She'd come out in all her glory, tromping through Riverdale High even amongst the snickers and sneers. Toni had protectively stood by, albeit being from a distance, wanting to give Cheryl her own space and find her own voice amidst the gossip. And despite all the anguish previously built up around the matter, the redhead had triumphantly held her head high, through catcalls and whispers, or direct confrontations, about who it was that caused the sexual awakening, or re-awakening, in the head Vixen. Toni glowed with pure adoration at how well Cheryl seemed to know herself, their last few weeks of working through some dark struggles seemingly paying off as the Blossom had claimed back her crown and refusing to bow to anyone's expectations other than the ones she held for herself.

After days of confirming the rumors and denying further information on who was next on her list, Cheryl had stopped indulging the simple whines from Josie and Kevin, telling them that 'She just wanted to spend time with her mystery girl' and 'Let me just enjoy getting to know her before I throw her to you savages' as peace offerings. The redhead was confident now that for the most part, her friends would be welcoming of Toni, maybe even more so than she had been upon first arrival, but first, Cheryl just wanted to enjoy the honeymoon of finally officially dating the person who had made all of this become a reality. It was the truth, what Cheryl had said before their first official date, that she was right where she needed to be. The bruised and battered young girl still had her moments, her days, of weakness, but was learning to stand tall out from under her own shadow. She had stopped lying to people who could have easily cared about her had she not built a wall up around her to keep them from finding out the truth about her. She was finally letting her friends in, she was letting Toni in and the blossoming Blossom was giving herself for the first time in her life, the opportunity to know true happiness and true love, in whatever capacity she was starting to feel it.  
  
During one Wednesday afternoon when Cheryl was procrastinating going home, Sweet Pea had slid a cherry-cola over to Cheryl at the Wyrm as they tried to warm up from their chilly ride over. The packed bar had Toni and even Sweet Pea shrugging off their leather jackets within the hour, Cheryl only scooting closer to her Serpent 'for warmth' tugging at her hand to put it in her lap. Toni only chuckled with literal hearts in her eyes and obliged, holding Cheryl's thigh closer to her, to which Fang's daringly responded with a usual outburst.

_"Guys, it's like a hundred fucking degrees in here now. Just admit you love each other, it isn't that hard."_

It was no wonder that Cheryl had been spending nearly all her time with Toni on the Southside, aside from the occasional movie night cuddled in her bed at Thistlehouse, now that they had finally told Fangs that they were dating to get him to quit with the frustrated outbursts towards their growing love affair. Sweet Pea handed over a five dollar bill that afternoon, causing Cheryl to burst out laughing and Toni to throw a crumpled napkin at the boys for betting over whether or not she finally sucked it up and asked Cheryl on a real date. It was the first of many occasions that Cheryl had found herself at home in the Whyte Wyrm, and now that Cheryl had reaffirmed her confidence in herself in her own friend circle, she wondered just how much longer it would take for them to finally cross the border and find themselves just as at home on the Northside. It wasn't an anxiety ridden feeling, just a hopeful wonder in the direction of Toni feeling just as comfortable with her friends as she felt with Toni's. And it seemed that the all perceptive Toni was leaning into her psyche just a few weeks later.

* * *

 

It had all started when Fangs had suggested they watch some YouTube channel featuring a bunch of motorcycle stunts. They were about seventeen minutes into their deep delve of the internet when Cheryl heard her precious cherie gasp.

"Oh, ew!" Toni gagged at the phone in Sweet Pea's hand. The tallest Serpent and Fangs also grossed out by the stuntman's arm bent disgustingly out of place, but laughing at each other's reactions as they clicked the next video.

Of course Cheryl had been utterly repulsed by not only that video clip, but their boyish behavior all together. She rolled her eyes, continuing to flick through her magazine with her legs crossed in disapproval. She was so wrapped up in every single bit of Toni, and it was a nice change of pace to be part of her world on the Southside, but she'd never understand where this part of her came from. Behind closed doors, admittedly Toni could be a little _rough_ around the edges, much to Cheryl's liking. But mostly, she was accustomed to Toni being softer, more feminine, and it took moments like these for Cheryl to recall that her little Toni was a Serpent; Still one of the boys.

"It would be so metal if we could do that with the Hogs.." Toni's wistful thoughts were promptly interrupted.

Not bothering to glance up from her reading, Cheryl fired a warning shot at Toni, calling everyone's attention to her. "Don't think you're _ever_ getting on that death trap again after tonight, TT."

"Busted!" Fangs pointed at the sapphic Serpent, a laugh rumbling in his chest.

"Oh, come _on_ , Che--" Toni started to rebut, thinking about her motorcycle parked right outside in the gravel.

"Ah," Cheryl raised a perfectly manicured finger at Toni, still nose deep in the pages of her magazine. " _Nope_."

"Ooooh, Topaz. _Whu-psssh!_ " Sweet Pea had cracked his air-whip at Toni, who jeered back at both boys rolling with laughter.

"Tiny's not getting any tonight," Fangs chimed in over a belly laugh at how agitated Cheryl seemed to be with their behavior.

Cheryl simply smirked with a raised eyebrow and rose to collect her things, including Toni, whose waist she had an arm wrapped around. She made eye contact dead-on with each individual boy before turning to press a slow kiss against Toni's lips.

"There's _plenty_ of room in the Impala, as I'm _sure_ you remember, hmm?" Cheryl licked her bottom lip before biting it and raising her eyebrows, grabbing Toni by the backside and pulling the smaller girl's body flush against her own. "Come now, TT."

Cheryl threw her hair over her shoulder and winked back over her shoulder at both boys, whose eyes were wide and jaws were slightly unhinged.

"Now, _that's_ totally metal."

* * *

In a week's time, Toni had managed to make _everything_ metal. Cheryl's cherry red, '61 Impala  revving at a red light, sneaking through a window of Thisltehouse instead of walking through the front door like a 'civilized being,' per Cheryl. The black lace lingerie ensemble Cheryl had put on for their date night, the to-die-for brownies in the cafeteria. Hell, even the puppies at the adoption pen they walked by on their window shopping date.

Sipping her chocolate milkshake at Pop's on a random Thursday night, Toni had mumbled something about it being 'so metal' and Cheryl had finally had enough. It was time to put her foot down.

"Oh my _God_ , Toni. _Shut_. _Up_." Cheryl scoffed through a reluctant chuckle. She'd had her fill of this 'It would be so metal' business from the object of her affections. It was funny at first, Toni coming up with the most off the wall suggestions. But it had become an obsession for the smaller girl, turning any little observation or decision into her newest favorite catch-phrase. As a well read and clearly established Blossom, she couldn't continue to allow such asinine behavior from her sweetheart, who was also well read and polished despite her Serpent upbringing.

" _Enough_ , Antoinette. I _mean_ it." Cheryl warned.

Toni _knew_ she was in trouble by the way Cheryl had used her first name to it's full extent like that. But she had _one_ more left in her.

"Hey, Cheryl?" Toni smirked at the gorgeous redhead sitting across the booth from her. The Blossom rolled her eyes, knowing _exactly_ what was going to come out of Toni's mouth next.

"It would be totally metal if you would let me call you 'baby' in front of your friends."

Cheryl was stunned, a small gasp catching in her throat as she looked up to see that Toni was in fact being dead serious, despite her impish delivery. She was not after all, expecting _that_.

Toni nodded, "Mhmm, yeah. It'd be _totally_ metal if you'd be my _girlfriend_."

And just like that, Cheryl decided it would be totally metal to say **_yes_**.


	20. You Make Me Feel It Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toni and Cheryl *make love* for the first time. SMUUUUUUUT >:)

The smirk on Toni's face didn't let up for even a second on the drive home from Pop's, one hand gently wrapped around the steering wheel of the Impala, one wrapped equally as gently around the porcelain skin of Cheryl Blossom's thigh. Cheryl Blossom, her _girlfriend_. It had been such a long two and a half months of back and forth, trying desperately to catch up to each other and find themselves on the same page. There had been tears and there had been heart shattering moments of weakness, on both ends. But as the two had discovered in the midst of all of it, it was that they were magnetic. There seemed to be no force that could come between them, no matter how hard they fought it. They belonged together, plain and simple, which is why when Cheryl suggested Toni stay with her at Thistlehouse, neither girl had any reason to fight it.

"It doesn't have to be a permanent arrangement, TT," the redhead rushed out quickly. "I do rather enjoy spending time on the Southside with you, as you've seen, but I think we're finally beyond tip-toeing around the matter of you staying without feigning excuse as to why you should come or go."

Toni merely squeezed the supple skin beneath her palm with a chuckle, "Cher, relax. I'd love that."

Cheryl did in fact relax under Toni's sure touch, sighing in comfort despite needing to explain further. "I just don't want you to lose yourself trying to find me."

"Baby, _stop_ ," Toni laughed fully this time, turning to look at Cheryl completely while stopped at a red light, pulling the girl's hand into her lap. "You've done more than enough to find _yourself_. I wouldn't have asked you to be in a full blown relationship with me, let alone come and partially move in with you if I didn't think you or I were ready."

The Blossom laced her fingers with Toni's, but the Serpent could still sense a small bit of apprehensiveness on her face. She shook her head, pink locks swooshing gently around her shoulders. "I _know_ who am I am, Cheryl. Being with you hasn't changed me. In fact, I think that you've challenged me to be better, to learn how to communicate better. And _you_ \-- You are the fiercest person I know. You know who you are, even if you have to work at remembering every now and then. We can do this, babe."

Cheryl scoot herself closer to Toni, pressing a kiss to her cheek before resting her head on the leather clad shoulder. Toni hummed in contentment, letting her girlfriend rest easily there until she finally pulled Cheryl's car to rest in front of Thistlehouse. She gently shrugged a reluctant Cheryl off of her shoulder, chuckling and pressing a kiss to her temple and urging her out of the car. She quickly found the redhead's hand again, tugging her towards the front door as Cheryl giggled and jogged a few steps to keep up. There was no mystery behind the pace Toni was setting to get inside and upstairs and it showed when the shorter girl pinned Cheryl against the wall at the base of the grand staircase. Her tiny hands easily found Cheryl's hips, sliding a thigh between the strong ones of her girlfriend's. Cheryl's arms instinctively snaked around Toni's neck and she leaned down, forcefully bringing Toni halfway, their lips meeting in a bruising kiss.

"It's about time you properly welcomed me home," Toni smirked, breaking their kiss, aiming her next conquest at Cheryl's neck.

Cheryl groaned out her girlfriend's name, sitting lower against the wall to sink against the feeling of Toni's thigh between her own. The taller girl sighed as teeth nipped at her smooth skin, sure to leave some sort of mark that would easily fade unless the Serpent decided to clamp a little harder.

"Toni," Cheryl whimpered again, her breathing increasing in pace while Toni's hands slid around to Cheryl's backside. "Upstairs. _Please_."

Toni greedily hummed into Cheryl's neck, blatantly disobeying Cheryl's wishes, sliding her warm tongue over the skin she found there. The Serpent pressing harder into the girl as if she was going to push right through her body and into the wall itself. A reluctantly grateful grunt fell from Cheryl's lips, sinking further against the smaller girl until she could breathe in deep and come back into her own senses. The Blossom challenged back, a pale hand smoothed itself up Toni's body until Cheryl finally slithered her fingers around the column of Toni's throat.

" _Now_ , Toni," she growled, gripping Toni's chin and turning her face so red lips could cover pink.

The redhead felt the vibrations of Toni's groan, smirking against warm lips before pushing her roughly backwards. Cheryl's pupils were dilated and staring intensely over Toni's small frame, leaving the girl stunned at Cheryl's show of dominance. The taller girl easily stepped past Toni, gliding towards the bottom step of the staircase, busying her hands in front of her before smirking over her shoulder. With eyes locked on chocolate brown, Cheryl pushed her skirt over her hips and let it hit the marble flooring, stepping out of it as her heels hit the first two steps. The redhead had made it up almost half of the staircase before Toni blinked, her voluptuous backside clearly on display as red lace disappeared between two full mounds. Toni's jaw hung slack, hypnotized by the sway of Cheryl's hips, the husk of her girlfriend's voice nearly bringing her to her knees.

"Coming, Topaz?"

The crop top Cheryl had been wearing was now hanging between two red claws, dangling over the banister, Toni springing into action as it suddenly fell from it's height and hit the ground as she skipped two stairs at a time to catch up to the Vixen. By the time Toni's short legs carried her up the stairs, Cheryl was standing in the doorway of her bedroom-- _Their_ bedroom. One arm was perched high on the door frame, Cheryl leaning seductively there as she waited for a breathless Toni to lose what was left in her lungs. Ironically, this was the most skin Toni had ever seen from Cheryl. It might have been ass backwards, Toni's face buried between her legs before she'd even seen Cheryl near naked, but damn, was it worth the wait.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Cheryl--"

Toni lunged forward, stepping in close to her again. She tucked her hand around the redhead's back and slid it down to Cheryl's nearly bare backside, cupping her closer still. “You are _so_ fucking sexy, baby.”

Toni, as small as she was, never had any issues with brute strength when it came to important matters; Lifting Cheryl to sit atop her own hips was probably the most important instance to date. The Serpent perched Cheryl against her, moving her hands to guide her girlfriend to wrap her legs around her waist. Toni carried Cheryl to the edge of the bed, squeezing her hands into Cheryl's backside again, biting into the girl's plump bottom lip as the Vixen leaned down to connect their lips in another brutal kiss. Cheryl leaned back, Toni's teeth scrapping against her lip until they were too far separated and Cheryl's lip came loose while Toni's teeth clashed against themselves in the absence of her girlfriend's lip. Cheryl moaned as she fell back against the mattress, already missing Toni's needy touch. The smaller girl shrugged off her Serpent jacket and popped the button on her ripped black jeans, stalking towards Cheryl. Toni easily climbed up onto the bed, her knees finding a home on either side of Cheryl's hips.

Cheryl breathed in deep, closing her eyes as she caught the scent of vanilla and sandalwood that was so unique to the girl above her. Her hands naturally found Toni's small body, starting at her hips and roughly tracing over the girl's taut stomach. Toni bit her lip to suppress a growl, brown eyes rolling back into her head as she lifted her arms above her head. With her eyes still clamped shut, Toni could feel Cheryl's gaze burning into her skin while pale hands removed her top. The smaller girl slowly let her eyes flutter open, Cheryl's once strong and dominant grip on her downstairs making way for a more gentle and exploratory touch. It was as if the world around them had stopped completely, frozen in time as the redhead's fingers grazed as soft as a feather over every line, dip and curve of Toni's skin. Their breathing slowed, inhaling deeper and in sync with one another. Toni bit her lip, Cheryl's hands still on her stomach as she reached around to unclip her own bra. She shrugged off one strap at a time before letting the material fall away altogether, tossing it to the side to make room for Cheryl's hands to come tentatively up to feel the new skin. Cheryl was so sure, claiming the full weight of each of Toni's breasts in her hands, but there was a gentleness to the way she smoothed her hands up that made a shiver run down the tan spine.

Once Cheryl's eyes had glazed over in lust, hands reluctantly falling away, she peeled her back off the sheets, nodding at Toni's itching hands. No sooner had slender fingers snuck around Cheryl's back to unclip the lace bra, eyes locked on each others as Toni peeled the material away from smooth skin. Toni's breath hitched in her throat, fully taking in the sight of Cheryl she had only seen in her dreams before. This was by far not the first time they had been intimate with each other, but for the very first time, they weren't cramped in the back seat of Cheryl's car, or hidden away in a room while other people danced below them. Other than the night when Toni showered while Cheryl worked herself to climax on the other side of a glass barrier, this was the only time they were fully seeing and experiencing each other. Toni had never gone further than pulling Cheryl's blouse off, or lifting her skirt up above her hips and pushing her underwear to the side. Even the very first night with her face buried between Cheryl's thighs, Toni had been intoxicated enough by both Cheryl and the alcohol to not truly appreciate all that her now girlfriend had to offer.

Cheryl squirmed a little under Toni's weight, snapping the smaller girl out of her thoughts. She smiled softly down at Cheryl, leaning down to press a quick kiss to her lips. As she sat back up, the redhead took hold of Toni's waist, sliding her hands behind the girl and tucked her fingers into the waistband of Toni's jeans, just below the dimples on her back. Toni's smile widened at Cheryl's smirk, sharp nails scratching down and over Toni's haunches. The girl wiggled her tan hips a little, letting Cheryl work her hands far enough down to push the jeans clear off the Serpent's hips. With a little more wiggling, Toni was left the same as Cheryl, in nothing but lace underwear, laying herself back on top of Cheryl.

The girls seemed content to take their time, kissing slow, mouths opening to let tongues press languidly against each others, hips slowly starting to press into each other as they let their bodies react of their own accord. After their breath was lost in each others lungs, Toni pulled back with a sigh, bringing a hand to caress Cheryl's cheek.

"You are so _beautiful_ , Cheryl Marjorie Blossom."

A pink tint flushed the redhead's cheeks, bringing her own hand to Toni's to pull it away from her face, pressing it back against her lips, leaving a red imprint on her palm. When she was done, Cheryl bit her lip, staring intently into Toni's eyes. It was shy in a way that made Toni think that Cheryl didn't really even understand how gorgeous she was. She may walk around like she was the queen of Riverdale some days, but in that moment, Toni had realized that never once did Cheryl stop to realize that someone could care about her for more than the facade she put on around other people. Toni saw her. She saw the beauty under Cheryl's skin and it left Toni breathless.

" _Cheryl_ ," Toni breathed out.

"I-- I lov--" Toni swallowed hard, sucking in a deep breath to stabilize how hard her heart was beating in her chest.

The Blossom smoothed a hand down Toni's arm to take her hand with her own. She guided it along the top of her underwear, barely tucking her fingertips into the band before capturing the pink haired girl's lips.

“ _Show me_ , TT,” Cheryl whispered as she opened her body and her heart to the girl above her.

Even though Toni hadn’t needed Cheryl to acknowledge what she was about to say, the fact that the redhead did in her own way anyway made her chest feel like it was expanding. They didn't need those three words out loud to know they were falling completely into each other. All Toni needed to know was that Cheryl felt secure enough not to run from the feeling and see the look of surrender on her face as she agreed to trust Toni with her feelings and her heart.  
Toni pushed Cheryl's panties down those toned, beautifully long legs, leaning back up to cover her girlfriend's mouth with her own. Her eyes closed and her tongue curled sensually around Cheryl's as she moved her palm down the front of Cheryl's toned stomach. Ever so slowly, Toni's fingertips made their way through a soft patch of groomed curls, dipping further until her middle finger was coated in slick wetness. To ease the own friction in between her legs, Toni scooted closer and linked her leg around Cheryl's thigh as she slowly slid her finger in. Toni's slim finger rested in Cheryl's warm depth, her tongue pushing deeper against her girlfriend's. As Cheryl moaned into her mouth, Toni crooked her finger against the heat and let out her own soft moan as she felt Cheryl tighten around her.

Cheryl's head was spinning, her heart was pounding and she was floating where no drug could ever take her. She let the effect that Toni was having on her swallow her whole, for once not worrying about the insecurities or consequences that could result from letting her heart truly open up for the first time while Toni shared herself with her. She was going to give herself fully and confidently, finally starting to feel like she’d wake up still immersed in her heaven, hands still linked as physical proof this wasn’t going to fall away.

The redhead whimpered her way though a sigh as Toni invaded her and they connected, becoming one, more officially than their relationship status had just become. Her grip tightened on Toni's backside, digging her fingernails into firm yet soft skin, pulling the pink haired girl's hips closer and deeper against her. She needed to feel the heat between them, the fire that was burning so strong that there was no other explanation other than they were two people catching fire as they fell deeper and deeper in tune.

“ _Yes, Toni_ ,” Cheryl panted out.

Her tone was gentle, vulnerable even as Cheryl tipped her head back into the pillow, arching her back off the mattress to motivate a deeper stroke between her legs. She grasped at Toni's shoulder blade, leaving a light trail where she’d dug in too hard and left four streaks, inches long, across the lightly sun kissed skin. The Blossom gasped as her girlfriend entered her with another finger, whining again as Toni pumped back into her.

“ _Yes_ , babe," Cheryl whimpered again. " _Show me_ \-- Please-- Don’t let me go.”

Between catching her breath and hungrily searching for more, brushing her tongue against Toni's, Cheryl was losing control over her body which seemed to be rhythmically rolling into every one of Toni's moves. She pushed and pulled, desperately trying to get closer to her girlfriend until she conceded that nothing was going to be enough until she was feeling exactly what Toni was, with her. Cheryl slid her hand between their bodies, her fingertips knowing the path like it was a love poem written just for the two of them. She let out a strangled sigh as Toni nibbled at the column of her throat, pushing her hand the final few inches to bury two fingers in an equally white hot heat.

The sound of Cheryl whimpering underneath her made a flood of heat overwhelm Toni's belly and the pink haired girl had to squeeze her legs together at the sudden tension that sprang between them. She crooked her fingers deeper against Cheryl, feeling her hips push down on her and she buried her mouth into Cheryl's neck, kissing the warm skin and marking her territory.

“I'm right here, baby,” she whispered as Cheryl gasped but let out a mirroring noise herself as the redhead decided to push deeper inside her in return. Arousal pooled low at her belly and Toni knew that if she didn’t take charge and continue to dominate her movements over Cheryl, she’d lose it.

  
Cheryl was teetering dangerously close to the edge the more Toni's renewed hunger for her was made obvious. Her hips were rolling without encouragement, her body being completely under control by the Serpen'ts touch. Her slender fingers wound tightly through long pink locks, trying not to tug too hard as her other hand worked against Toni still. Her body began to fluidly roll, until all her muscles tightened and her mouth hung slack. The vibration of Toni's moan against her neck slowly scooted her closer to the edge, _feeling_ more than hearing the whimpers Toni was letting fall against her begin to dangle her in preparation for the free fall. Once two fingers were hooked securely inside of her and that sacred spot within her was being stroked just the way she needed, Cheryl felt herself shatter, fighting the intense cry that was trying to rip through her chest as she gripped Toni's hair in one hand, fingers hooking deeply inside of her girlfriend with the other.

"Oh, _oh_ \-- _Toni_ \--"

Just hearing Cheryl start to lose control, Toni felt the coil in her lower stomach ready to unleash itself. She ground her hips down onto Cheryl's fingers, feeling herself start to come apart too.

"Cher-- Right, uh, right _there_. Cheryl-- _Cheryl!_ " Riding out her orgasm until she couldn’t take any more, Toni let her body fall completely limp against the mattress, desperately trying to catch her breath.

It took a few minutes for Toni to regain enough strength to pull Cheryl's face in close to hers, who had by then found herself cuddling into her side, kissing her lips gently. She licked her lips as she pulled away, tasting remnants of Cheryl's lipstick as she hummed in satisfaction of what had just transpired between them. The redhead took a deep breath and rolled over to lay on top of her girlfriend.

“ _You_ are so incredibly beautiful, Toni Topaz.” Cheryl leaned down to continue kissing the smaller girl, hands smoothing down her sides as she did. She pressed kisses all over Toni's face before finding her lips again. Cheryl finally pulled back to make sure their eyes were locked before continuing.

“And you make me feel _it_ too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling a mostly Cheronica chapter next. Probs more of a flashback. 
> 
> Yay or nay?


	21. Rough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry, I had to stay true to my vision. There IS Cheronica in this chapter, well mentions of them BUT hear me out. It's not what you're thinking. Trust me it's vv brief and it serves a VERY Choni-centric purpose. Back to back smut ayyye ;)

  
The excited chatter of students on campus was full throttle by the time Cheryl had pulled her red convertible into her regular parking stall. Most of the population had already scurried off towards their first class of the day, the morning bell having sounded just as the powerful engine had cut out to cool off in front of the school. They were running late, that much was sure, but even in the rare occasion that Cheryl wasn't bright and early, no one dared take up her spot. She smiled over at Toni who had let her head thump back against the head rest with an aggravated groan.

"I can't be late to Labowsky again. He'll give me detention for sure."

Usually the Blossom was the one ushering Toni to class ahead of schedule, wanting to guarantee the ever increasing GPA of her girlfriend along side her own steady 4.0. This time however, the redhead was still lost in the clouds of their new morning routine. She'd straddled Toni's hips as her alarm had gone off, the two spending a little too long rolling around in the sheets than they should have, putting them behind schedule.

"You'll be fine, TT. We've still got--" Cheryl looked down at her dainty wrist watch. "Six minutes."

The Vixen pressed a brazen kiss against Toni's lips, a single hand gently sliding behind the nape of Toni's neck to bring her firmly against her own. It was the first time they'd been open with their affection on the Northside, let alone at school, with bodies still lingering out in front of the school, just twenty feet away. Toni couldn't help but chuckle against Cheryl's full lips, pecking her once, twice and three times more before fighting the magnetism of her girlfriend's warm lips and pulling back.

"I'm serious, Bombshell," the Serpent mumbled with a groan. "I gotta run." Toni swung open the passenger door and tugged her bag from the floor of the car, swinging it over her shoulder, but not before taking another moment to appreciate the beauty of Cheryl Blossom pouting at her from the drivers seat. " _God_ \-- You're so cute."

Toni's quirky smile disappeared from the window as she jogged off towards the double doors of the high school, Cheryl taking her time rolling up the windows and locking her car. She glided easily through the opening of the school and into her first class, gracefully sliding into her seat just as the late bell rang in the hallway. Cheryl had been ahead in her studies, per usual, giving her more than enough time to doodle and daydream of the last few days with Toni. The majority of the day had gone as so, the doodle of Toni only getting completed a little more in each period, Cheryl only looking up to check the reading or assignments on the whiteboard for the next class. She was relieved once the lunch bell had rung, packing her things back up and heading towards her locker, hoping she'd run into Toni before they settled into their respective seats on the cafeteria.

Feeling only slightly disappointed, Cheryl successfully unpacked her books from her first three classes and replaced them with a singular notebook for her last two, shutting her locker, still without notice from her girlfriend. Reaching into the side pocket of her purse for her phone, Cheryl jumped slightly when a hand connected with her elbow, the quiet yip caused Toni to raise an eyebrow at the taller girl.

"Thinkin' a little too hard about something, Cherry Bomb?" Toni teased as she caught the redhead off guard and leaned against the lockers to stare up at the taller girl.

"Hmm," Cheryl sassily dismissed, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she slid her hand down into Toni's. "Just wondering when my hoodlum girlfriend was going to show her face."

Toni rolled her eyes and tugged at Cheryl's hand, pulling her away from the lockers and towards the cafeteria. "Well your _hoodlum_ girlfriend barely made it to first because of you, so who's the bad influence now?"

Cheryl intertwined their fingers with a grin on her face, stepping in time with Toni's pace towards their friends seated at the Serpent's table. Sweet Pea crossed his arms over his chest with an amused smile on his face, eyebrows raised at their new public display. Fangs immediately wolf whistled at them as they approached the benched seating and Cheryl merely shook her head and rolled her eyes, Toni pushing his shoulder, _hard_.

"Nothing you haven't seen before, _idiot_."

The group of them laughed and exchanged banter about the timeline of it all, Toni apparently taking far too long to make it official. Cheryl nodded in agreement which caused Toni to dramatically drop their linked hands and make a disgusted face at her girlfriend. Fangs dodged another one of Toni's flying fists to the shoulder when he mentioned that they'd now have to trade Toni to the Northside so they could keep Cheryl on the South, to which Cheryl also zealously nodded agreement again.

"Traitor," Toni mumbled, sulking away from Cheryl.

"Hush now, cry baby," Cheryl faux cooed against Toni's lips, finding it easy to capture Toni's complaint behind her own lips as she leaned down to peck the insult away.

* * *

"Well, I guess now we know who Cheryl's going to the Winter Formal with," Kevin smirked, catching the perfect glimpse of red lips pressing against pink ones from across the cafeteria.

The rest of the clique looked around at each other, puzzled, until they followed Kevin's line of sight to rest upon the Serpent table. Red hair stood out like a sore thumb amongst the troupe of black leather, a dash of pink darting out every now and then from behind Cheryl's stance. They hadn't quite looked like they were ready to sit down yet, so Kevin brazenly called them over, not even glancing around to gauge the reactions of anyone else.

"Cheryl!"

Toni was the one who had heard it, the redhead too busy pointing an accusing finger towards Sweet Pea, head tipped back in a laugh as he raised his hands up defensively. Toni nudged her girlfriend gently, capturing her attention before nodding towards Kevin with a slightly uneasy smile.

"Cheryl, hey! Come over--" the boy waved her over, his eyes almost glazed over at the new scandal of it all. The queen of the Northside, cozying up to a princess of the Southside, all the while the chastised ex-mistress sat amongst them. Kevin had no malicious intent what-so-ever, and quite frankly, he didn't even realize that Veronica was stiffening in her seat across from him.

Toni's eyes locked onto Veronica who seemed to go rigid when she realized Cheryl was standing and carrying on with the Serpents, dropping Cheryl's hand to release her towards her friends. Cheryl rolled her eyes dramatically, picking Toni's hand back up and tugging her out from behind Sweet Pea.

"Come on, babe--" Cheryl's voice went from playful to stern, seeing Toni's eyes narrow and her body stiffen towards the thought of having to interact with her _ex_ \-- Well, whatever Veronica was. "Oh, for the love of God. That's _enough_ , TT. You can throw me around and get all that possessive aggression out at home later. We'll see you guys--" Cheryl waved them off as she dragged Toni behind her.

Cheryl pulled Toni away from the Serpent table and held her hand reassuringly as they approached her usual lunch table. She smiled, sickeningly sweet at the bunch of heads turned towards them, daring to glance down at their locked hands at their side.

"Greetings, coterie," Cheryl all but sang, shimmying her shoulders in an elite way, making her confident presence palpable. "As I'm sure most of you have been privy to the rumors spreading like wildfire through this god-forsaken, small town, I thought it be best that I address them properly and introduce you exclusively to my _girlfriend_."

Toni scrunched up her face in confusion at Cheryl's production of it all, looking over at the redhead incredulously in the most adorable way. She shrugged it off and looked around at the mix between confused and amused faces, chuckling as she simply addressed them all.

"Hey," she nodded lackadaisically.

Kevin looked like he was about to pass out in his attempt to contain his excitement, nodding back at Toni enthusiastically. "Such a power couple," he whispered to no one but himself, eyes wide and smile wider.

"Wow, Blossom. Brava," Josie smirked, giving Toni a once over, sticking her hand out towards Toni. "Josie."

Toni smiled back casually, sticking her hand out towards Josie with a smirk of her own, "Toni, it's great to finally meet you."

"Is she _always_ this lack luster?" Veronica interrupted, rolling her eyes and pushing up and out of her seat.

"'Scuse me?" Toni quirked an eyebrow at the snippy voice, her neck swiveling around on her shoulders to narrow her eyes at the brunette.

"V--" Betty stuck out her arm to rest gently on Veronica's forearm. But that didn't stop the Lodge from speaking up again, shaking Betty's touch from her arm.

"You heard me. You're clearly just the trial run in Cheryl's little self-discovery escapade. Maybe when she's ready to take the training wheels off, she'll realize she's ready to quit slumming it with a nobody who has more than four words in her vocabulary."

Toni's body tensed, her teeth grinding together as she exhaled deeply. She huffed out a laugh and shook her head, simply dismissing Veronica's rant. Cheryl squeezed at her hand once again, choosing to not get caught in another heated argument and instead focus on making Toni feel welcome with the rest of her friends. As Cheryl turned her back to Veronica, she moved to sit down next to Josie when the brunette piped up again.

"Just what I thought. You're so muted that even Cheryl 'Bombshell' Blossom has lost her bite." Veronica throwing up air quotes around the redhead's nickname for further ridicule in her statement. "The sex can't nearly be as eventful as it was when we were together-- Which is probably why you came back to me, isn't it, _Cheryl?"_ Verionica spat, making eye contact with the redhead. "Such a waste-- It's _pathetic_."

At that, Cheryl spun around, yanking Toni forward, their hands still linked. "You know what, Veronica, your envy is about as green as the stacks of money you and your family hide behind for protection. People think that _I'm_ loveless because of my name, but they should really be looking into the spoiled brat that is you-- Throwing a temper tantrum because I didn't choose you."

Toni's blood was boiling now, ripping her eyes away from Veronica and focused on her girlfriend instead, gripping Cheryl's hand a little tighter, placing a comforting hand around her bicep.

"Baby," the Serpent soothed, moving to rub small circles on Cheryl's lower back. She squared her shoulders at Veronica, stepping between her girlfriend and the brunette, daring her to say anything else, the look in Toni's eyes more powerful than any violent act or words of retaliation could say. Once satisfied that Veronica had been subdued, Toni turned back to hold Cheryl's waist gently with one hand, still smoothing circles on her back with the other. "It's okay. It's not worth it."

Cheryl looked Veronica dead in the eyes over Toni's shoulder, growling out one more thing before Veronica stalked off. "If anything is pathetic, Veronica, it's _you_."

Betty rose from her seat, lips pursed in a nervous way, almost apologizing on Veronica's behalf. "It was nice to formally meet you, Toni. I hope to see you come around more often, but, uh-- If you'll excuse me."

Toni politely nodded as Betty looked back over her shoulder to see where Veronica disappeared, "Of course."

" _Pfft_. I don't know what she's seeing because the sex is clearly fire," Josie leaned over to whisper into Kevin's ear.

"Oh, _clearly_ ," he fervently nodded again, seeing how protectively Toni was gripping Cheryl's waist while the redhead stared down at her with glazed over eyes.

* * *

"V, wait!" Betty called out after Veronica, who was stomping down the hall towards the girl's bathroom.

The blonde's sneakers hit the vinyl composition tile a little harder, jogging to catch up to her best friend. "Veronica-- _Ugh_ ," she grunted, feeling the heavy door swing shut in front of her face. "V, come on. Just talk to me."

Betty pushed the door open to find Veronica pacing back and forth angrily, seemingly trying to cover up another hoard of emotions that were flushing over her. Betty crossed her arms defensively over her chest, almost nervous to try and break the rampage that was clearly boiling under Veronica's skin. After another minute or two of letting Veronica slow her pace, Betty reached out to lay a gentle hand on Veronica's arm.

"V," she whispered. " _Please_. I want to be here for you."

Emotion flooded Veronica's eyes, but she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hold in the sobs she felt building in her chest. "I don't wanna talk about it-- I was so _wrong_ about it. I can't do a single thing about it now."

Betty sighed, pulling Veronica into a hug, knowing that the brunette wanted nothing more than to forget about everything and pretend it wasn't tearing her up inside. But the more Veronica kept pushing it down, the more everything had made sense, and the more Betty saw her best friend spiraling out of control. She'd always been known to easily put people in their place, but these growing outbursts seemed misguided, the brunette becoming more and more of a loose canon. It wasn't aimed towards goodness, with positive intentions, but of selfish resolution. It was tarnishing the Lodge in a way that Betty knew Veronica couldn't be proud of.

"This isn't you, V. I think you _need_ to talk about it."

"I'm not a superhero," Veronica's voice cracked as she leaned into her best friend, finally shattering around the truth. "I lost her. _I want her back_. She did things to me that no one else could-- I miss that."

_Veronica bit her lip, suppressing a smile as Cheryl lay on her chest under the stars. The Blossom had an arm wrapped around her middle, absentmindedly scratching up and down her side. They didn't sleep together this time. They just talked for hours, about nothing in particular, but they were pressed into each other as if they were the only two left in the world. Veronica had an ache in her chest that this meant it was finally real; What they had been doing was finally ushering Cheryl into the uncharted territory that Veronica had been feeling for weeks. They shared slow kisses, laughing into each other's lips as the sun began to set. It was an escape for both of them, away from the reputation's they needed to uphold, just being able to hold each other like nothing else mattered. Veronica had almost slipped up and said those three little words as she ran her fingernails through red hair at the girl's temple, pressing a goodbye kiss to her lips, the smile on her own deceiving of a hopeful tomorrow when the redhead would gravitate towards her in the morning. But morning light had come and Cheryl didn't look her way again, not even once. The blanket they were laying on that night was all that Veronica had left of the redhead, the scent of Cheryl haunting her every dream, every night moving forward._

The blonde pulled Veronica tighter as the tears began to fall and stain her yellow cardigan. She gently shushed the brunette while they rocked back and forth, sobs echoing off the tile walls of the bathroom. When the wracking of the girl's chest slowed in her arms, Betty leaned back and wiped away the trails of tears on Veronica's face. "I'm so sorry, V. I didn't realize--"

"They say if you love her, let her go. They say if it's meant to be, you'll know. I let her go, Betty. I let her walk away. I didn't fight as hard as I wanted to, because I _knew_. I knew I wasn't the one. But that doesn't change that all I still want is her-- I still love her. And it _hurts_ , B," Veronica's voice cracked around a cry again. "It hurts like hell seeing her with Toni. I pretended for so long that she'd come back to me when she was ready, but she didn't."

"Oh, V--" Betty pulled the brunette back into her chest, letting her finish crying openly about it for the first time.

* * *

"I'm _not_ possessive-- Or aggressive, Cheryl," Toni huffed once they were sitting in Cheryl's car on their way home, recapping on the comment Cheryl had made when they first left the Serpent lunch table.

Cheryl chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Toni, you're the epitome of aggressive. But who says I don't enjoy that?" Cheryl dropped her voice to a husk, biting her lip over at her girlfriend.

"I'm serious, Cher!"

Cheryl saw how worked up Toni was getting again, recounting the way Toni had valiantly stood by Cheryl and taken a verbal whiplashing from Veronica without budging once. Of course she knew it bothered Toni that there had been history there before them, but her girlfriend had been so poised and mature in facing that fact head on, it only made Cheryl feel one type of way, and it was most definitely not in a way Toni would find as amusing.

"I know, but _baby_ ," Cheryl husked again, smoothing her hand up Toni's thigh. "You're so sexy when you get all protective like that."

"I want to talk about it, Cheryl," Toni's tone was adamant, doing nothing but turning Cheryl on further.

"Fine," Cheryl groaned in annoyance, her hormones getting the best of her. "But will you at least save a little bit of that _non_ -aggression for me tonight?"

"You're unbelievable," Toni rolled her eyes, slamming the Chevy in park and pushing the car door open. "I'm trying to talk about our _relationship_ , and all you can think about is _sex?_ "

"My God, TT. What is there to talk about that we haven't already?" Cheryl tried to keep the attitude out of her voice, but the burning between her legs was making her edgy.

"Well, you've _obviously_ slept with her! And what-- _After_ we did too?"

"I've been _so_ open and transparent about that, Toni," Cheryl growled, officially confirming that truth and narrowing her eyes at her girlfriend as the Serpent's boots stomped through the front door of the mansion they lived in.

Toni spun on her heel, an astonished look on her face, " _What?!_ Are you _kidding_ me? _No_ , you haven't!"

" _You_ told me to get the closure I needed so that we didn't need to bring it up again! _You_ told me you didn't need to know when I _tried_ to tell you! Don't you _dare_ bring this back around on _me_ , Antoinette!"

" _Don't_ fucking call me that," Toni snapped back, stepping daringly right up against Cheryl's chest.

Cheryl _scoffed_. Literally scoffed, in Toni's face. If Toni hadn't seen red before, she did then, stepping so close to Cheryl that the taller girl's back was pressed against the now closed front door to the house.

"Or _what?_ You gonna get _rough_ with me?" Cheryl's tone was dripping with venom, the burning between her legs was back. Toni's jaw clenched, her hands also clenching and unclenching at her sides. The smirk on Cheryl's face told Toni that this wasn't a fight, not the way Toni thought it was. Cheryl had an ulterior motive, pushing Toni to the edge so she could get what she wanted, which made Toni lose her mind all over again, until Cheryl's voice floated through her ears again, softer this time.

"You're _jealous_ ," Cheryl mused, her smirk growing.

"I'm _not_."

"Well, I wish you were," Cheryl licked her lips, staring down at her girlfriend.

"It happened before we were officially anything--" Toni tried to play it off as if even then it didn't sting a little.

"But it shouldn't have happened," Cheryl finished. "You're too proud to tell me it hurts, but I'm not above apologizing for it, even though you _explicitly_ told me you didn't want to know."

Cheryl still rolled her eyes, even though she knew it was insensitive of her to do so at Toni's expense. She was still feeling riled up and a sliver of her still wanted Toni to show her who she belonged to now, in the least feministic way possible. That wasn't the type of relationship they had grown into, thank God, but Cheryl couldn't help how it made her feel when Toni got possessive of her and let the her aggressive nature out.

Toni scoffed back, rolling her eyes. "You're right. It _shouldn't_ have happened, because you already knew what you felt for me and you knew damn well what I felt for you. But I did tell you I didn't want to know-- So, I'm sorry too."

Now that they had talked, or raised their voices at each other about everything and Toni had gotten it off her chest, she could allow Cheryl to capitalize on the mood and the Serpent could give her girlfriend everything that she'd been asking for, in a healthy way. It may have been a little misguided, bringing the Veronica situation into play for Cheryl to fulfill having a slight kink with Toni getting rough with her, but the Blossom was still getting used to using her words, let alone ones that set her sexuality free. She'd had very limited experiences prior to Toni, and both girls knew it. Sex wasn't something Cheryl was extremely comfortable talking about with anyone, even Toni. So when her girlfriend saw the look of lust in her eyes, and her adamancy towards Toni taking control of her, making it clear that it was something Cheryl was finding she enjoyed, the Serpent finally tucked away the argument and caved, grabbing Cheryl by the wrist and guiding her back until her back smashed into a different wall. Honesty and transparency was enough for the smaller girl to let go of the negative feelings that had gotten them there, paving a clear path for them to meld back together.

"Besides, you're not going to let it happen again, are you?" Toni pressed her hot tongue along Cheryl's collarbone, nipping harshly at the skin there, causing Cheryl to immediately feel a pool of warmth between her legs. She groaned, trying to break free to wrap a hand in Toni's pink locks, groaning even louder as a strong hand kept her wrist pinned to the wall.

" _Are you_ , Cheryl?" Toni demanded again.

Cheryl whimpered. Toni smirked. Cheryl finally got her hand loose, scratching down the leather on Toni's back.

" _No_ , baby. You're the only one I want--"

Time seemed to slow down and speed up in all the right ways for Toni as Cheryl's lips let a whine out again. It was in slow motion that she watched Cheryl try to decide what to do, dragging out the tension to almost an unbearable state, pulling her lips away from dangerously smashing against Toni's and leaning her head back against the wall. The moment their lips met for the first time since their little squabble, it was gone in the blink of an eye. Toni felt her world shake to the core as she breathed in the gasp that was exhaled, neither of them really knowing which one of them it came from, and instantly craving more. Cheryl knew by the nip of her lip that it was Toni's way of saying she was in this, but the way the redhead laid herself against the wall, bringing Toni with her and rolling her hips up into the Serpent, that was her way of saying she was in this to win it, challenging her girlfriend take it a step further.

Toni sank effortlessly against Cheryl's body, a new hunger ripping her inhibitions apart one by one with each stroke of Cheryl's tongue against her own. The Serpent guided Cheryl unevenly around obstacles until she could feel her calf bumping the sofa, throwing Cheryl roughly down onto the cushions, Cheryl grunting, a whole new wave of lust crashing through her body. Toni's muscles eased her arms into position over the older girl's body to keep her hovering as she dipped down further into their kiss. It was all a physical mess of teeth, tongues, skin, nails, hair. It had sparked the moment Veronica had spouted off her and Cheryl's past, Toni feeling an animalistic need to prove she was only one capable of controlling Cheryl's body like this. Of course, the reasonable side of Toni was still vividly aware she couldn't _actually_ believe she owned anything, _especially_ not Cheryl, or her body; That their relationship was something they _shared_ , equally and of free will.

It didn’t hurt though, that the intensity of the chemistry between them in the moment was off the Richter Scale and they both didn’t seem to want to kill that vibe at all, Cheryl whimpering into the possessive way Toni was commanding the Blossom's every movement of her body. Masking her deeper emotions under a few residual scratch marks and love bites on bruising tan skin wasn’t such a bad way to go. It was a very freeing experience for Cheryl to shed the skin that had been holding her hostage the past few months and slowly grow back into the skin she knew she possessed all along, marking Toni in places only she would be able to discover, night after night.

Toni's breath was already ragged and in sync with the deep breaths of her partner, cocking a smirk and shrugging off her jacket, finally firing away with a simple gesture of crossing her arms before her to grip the hem of her shirt and pull it off in one clean sweep. Toni tossed aside her the shirt she discarded, hands immediately coming off of the couch to trace her palms up Cheryl's bare side, scooting Cheryl's top up as she went. She leaned down to sweep her lips against the redhead's, humming her approval. “Is this what you needed, baby?” Toni mumbled against Cheryl's plush lips with another smirk.

"Mhmm," Cheryl groaned, lifting her arms again for Toni to remove her shirt and unclip her bra.

The redhead's hands moved to her shorts and even as her lips were working against Toni's, her fingers were busy unbuttoning and then shoving her shorts down her slender legs. They landed near her feet and she kicked them off, grinding her hips into Toni's and letting out a moan that broke the silence of teeth clacking, couch cushions rustling, and the loud thumping of Cheryl's heart that echoed in her ears. She just wanted to press herself as closely to Toni as possible, giving herself over to anything her girlfriend wanted to do with her.

She moved her mouth to Toni's neck and dug her nails lightly into the girl's hip as she began to mark her collarbone again. Cheryl knew it was dangerous, especially since they had literally just come out as a couple and Toni wasn’t really at liberty to show them off around the boys without scrutiny, but there was a reckless spark that had been lit in her and it couldn't be put out. She bit down gently, right above Toni's collarbone and kissed her way down her chest before her hands landed at Toni's bottom half as well.

Hands met Toni's backside and as her eyes fluttered closed. Toni sighed, melting her lips against Cheryl's once again, feeling a hand suddenly snake between them and fiddle with the button of her shorts.

"Mm, mm." Toni shook her head, roughly pushing Cheryl's wrists back against the couch cushions. Cheryl's sometimes brash and commanding personality hid the secret yearning for Toni to grip her harder and move her exactly the way her girlfriend wanted it, but her legs instantly turned to jelly as Toni's tone took on something more demanding and suddenly, it was as if she had completely surrendered to her Serpent and laid down her arms-- Literally. She licked her lips as she stared up at the pink haired girl, heavy breaths leaving her mouth and her cheeks flushed. The minute Toni yanked her wrists together, Cheryl knew she was in trouble. This was a fairly new side to her girlfriend that Cheryl was excited about getting to know, only seeing glimpses of it during their first time and in rushed moments in their haste to get things done. Cheryl's mouth hung open, breathing out an exhale as if just the motion of Toni pushing down into her wrists to keep them there had taken her breath away.

Toni saw the lust wash over Cheryl's face again, smirking as she popped open the button on her shorts and wiggled her hips as she pushed them off of her legs. Lip between teeth, Toni sat up, still straddling Cheryl's hips, reaching down to take the redhead's hand in her own. She pressed it to the heat between her legs, guiding slow circles through her panties until the other girl's hand began to work on it’s own, without her encouragement. Toni slipped her own hand down to meet Cheryl's core, gently cupping her before pausing to make sure they were still on the same page. The Vixen wasn't sure if she had permission to remove her own underwear so she pushed her hips against Toni's hand and nodded, letting out a soft sigh. The Blossom was aching, needing relief badly after Toni had unknowingly, then _knowingly_ built her up.

Toni's eyes narrowed, trying to push her girlfriend to her limit. She edged a little closer, bit and tugged on that plump, red lip before pulling back with a devious smirk to top them all, resting on her face. If Toni was really going through with this, roughing Cheryl up in just the right ways, she wasn’t going to make it quick. The Serpent was going to draw this one out, make them work for it, make each other miserable with want until if hurt so good, they’d have to rip each other apart to release it all.

Toni swiftly rolled off of her girlfriend's eager body, disconnecting Cheryl's fingers from her core, fingernails scratching down bare hips to scrape the undergarments away from her girlfriend's body. The Serpent grinned down mischievously, leaning down to pick Cheryl up before turning her around and bending her forward, nudging her back towards the sofa. With a grunt the redhead fell onto her hands and knees, Toni's breath hitching in her throat at the sight.

"Fuck, baby--" Toni growled.

Running her palms over Cheryl's body, Toni smoothed them lower until her left hand was pulling the girl’s hips back into her own and her right met a hot center, eager and waiting to be handled. Toni groaned, folding her own almost bare body over the curve of Cheryl's backside. Her teeth sunk into the back of a creamy shoulder as she pressed two fingers into the girl. Cheryl arched her back up further as she felt Toni's chest press into her and let out a long, drawn out moan as she was being invaded. Toni exhaled hot breath against the skin still clamped between her teeth, pushing herself deeper into the open girl before her. Slowly Toni's fingers worked up a faster pace, thrusting into the redhead with a grunt each time as her movements fell into a rhythm. With her pumping slow and steady, the Serpent clawed her free hand up into the red locks, wrapping them up into her fingers to tug it almost roughly so she could watch Cheryl's face rise and fall with the thrusts inside the woman. She met their lips in yet another crash of teeth and tongue, still using her hips to guide her fingers deeper each time. The only way Cheryl could describe Toni's fingers moving through her slick, wet heat was pure heaven and pure relief. It was easing the pressure that had been building up ever since those dark brown eyes were laid on her in the car.

“ _Ungh_ ,” she managed to groan as Toni's pace increased and she clutched the edge of the couch, gripping it tightly as her hips were practically pulled into Toni's.

"Mm, Cheryl," Toni growled in response to her girlfriend's, feeling just as worked up as the redhead had been when Toni had her pressed up against the wall.

The feeling of her hair being pulled only resulted in another whimper from the redhead and she met Toni's gaze, shuddering at her velvety tone. She swallowed Toni's kisses, her nails digging into the fabric of the couch and barely managed to mutter throatily, “Toni, yes-- Right there, baby--"

Toni snapped right about then, her left hand returning to Cheryl's hip, pulling her forcefully back into her own as the fingers on her right hand curled the way her girlfriend seemed to love the most. Lost in the way Cheryl was rocking back against her, Toni lifted her hand and laid a slap clean to Cheryl's right butt cheek, almost apologetic that she had gotten too carried away until Cheryl let out the loudest moan Toni had ever heard from her.

"Ooh, _TT!_ " Cheryl dipped her chest lower to the couch, arms splayed out in front of her to help keep pushing her hips up and towards Toni with renewed fervor. Toni's hips were smacking loudly against Cheryl's backside, sweat and arousal coating their skin as she rubbed the spot inside Cheryl that was now causing the redhead's thighs to shake.

"That's it, baby-- You're so fucking sexy--" Toni panted, working as hard as she could to keep the excruciating pace going until her girlfriend finally reached her climax. "Come for me, Cheryl--"

"Babe-- Babe, _mmm, baby!_ Toooni--" Cheryl cried out, burying her face in the couch cushion as she released her cry further, feeling spent as her orgasm ripped through her. She fell limp against the cushions, Toni pulling out of her and falling haphazardly on top of her before rolling behind her to wrap an arm around Cheryl's waist.

" _Damn_ , babe," Toni chuckled, still panting from the exertion and from watching her girlfriend move the way that she had against her. Cheryl laughed too, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You're telling me," she croaked, turning her head to press a kiss to Toni's lips. "You need to get jealous more often, baby."

Toni rolled her eyes and bit down gently onto Cheryl's shoulder. "Shut up," she chuckled again, kissing the skin she had just bitten. "You can just ask me to get rough with you now that I know that's what you like, Blossom."

" _TT!_ " Cheryl exclaimed, smacking down on Toni's thigh, laughing as Toni wrapped her arm further around her body and snuggled into her neck.

Jealousy or not, Cheryl knew that this was all she'd ever need, ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get Choni GOLD in the next update (tomorrow) for being so patient with me :)


	22. I've Been Waiting For You For So Long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tons of dialog in this one, but Choni gold, as promised ;)

  
"Cheryl-- Hey, wait up!"

The Blossom had only needed to hear his boyish tone to know who was calling after her, deciding to ignore the request and spin the combination on the lock to her locker instead. She was in the midst of unpacking her notebook for lunch when he spoke up again.

"So, I heard a pretty interesting rumor yesterday," his voice trailed off, catching his breath from a small jog over to meet up with her.

"Only one? _Hmm_ ," she hummed, disinterest clear in her voice. "I started at least twelve."

  
Her icy tone didn't deter the boy for even a second, shaking off her HBIC act and diving right back into the seemingly one sided conversation. "So I heard you're dating Toni? As in Topaz?"

"As if there's another one to speak of?" Cheryl icily mocked his question with another question.

"Well-- Is it true?"

The Vixen slammed her locker door, the clang ringing out through the hall above some idle chatter beside them in the hallway, pulling the strap of her purse higher onto her shoulder.

"We're mutually exclusive, yes," Cheryl rolled her eyes, finally making eye contact with the other participant in the questioning with an unamused stare. "Although I don't see how that information would be relevant to anything that pertains to you."

The boys eyebrows knit together, as if it were completely obvious why he'd want to know the truth. "Well, Jughead-- He's my best friend."

Cheryl stared back at the redheaded boy, eyebrow raised as if again to ask how that was relevant to her.

"He's going to be crushed. Everyone knows he's had a thing for Toni since last year when he was at Southside High."

"Bold of you to assume I'd care, Archibald," Cheryl spat, pushing past the boy and heading towards the student lounge.

As if right on cue, Toni came striding around the corner, smile wider than Archie had ever seen as the Serpent laid eyes on the bombshell and reached out a dainty hand for her. Cheryl took it with ease, her eyes instantly softening as Toni said something indistinguishable in greeting.

"Well, what about Veronica then?" Archie raised his voice at the girl who had blatantly dismissed him, trying to set things right with a stab at heroics; Trying to get a rise out of anyone that could help make that happen. This wasn't the true order of Riverdale. Archie and his friends were tossed up and scrambled around, Cheryl and Toni in the middle of the giant mess he needed to rectify. "You're hurting people, Cheryl."

Toni glanced up at Cheryl, confusion and almost concern in her eyes as Cheryl whipped her head back toward the Bulldog. She cast daggers towards him before rolling her eyes and looking back towards Toni, taking a gentle hand to cup her chin and lean down to press a slow, gentle kiss to her lips, right there in the middle of the hallway. Toni had relaxed against her girlfriend, a small hand coming to smooth over Cheryl's cheek as if to reassure her that what Archie was saying wasn't the truth.

Cheryl pulled Toni's hip closer to her own, clutching her girlfriend close as she spoke slowly and crystal clear, "My _girlfriend_ is my _only_ concern in my relationship. You might be better off focusing on your own instead of mine," the redhead's tone laced with poison as she dared Archie to challenge her again.

* * *

The Wyrm was pretty dead around five on a weekday, most Serpents either just getting back from their day jobs, or out preparing for their night one. It was just the slice of solace the little gang needed to recap the days events and spend some time just being regular teenagers before Serpent duty or life called them into action otherwise. Fangs and Sweet Pea were engaging in their regularly scheduled game of darts as Toni twirled a strand of pink hair in her fingers, Cheryl's legs draped across her lap. The girls chattered on about the Winter Formal and if Toni would look good better in a power suit or an evening gown.

"Why do I have to wear a pantsuit? _You_ wear a pantsuit," Toni grumbled. "It's that kind of bigotry and sexism that keeps lesbians oppressed and in some stereotypical box in the first place."

"TT, you'd look stunning in _anything_ you wore-- Especially a complimentary evening gown to my own. But think about it. Heels, your pink hair cascading down a black jacket, form fitting slacks around those _perfectly_ sculpted hips--" Cheryl's eyes practically glazed over, her mouth salivating at just the thought. "It has _nothing_ to do with oppression-- Trust me."

"Ew," Sweet Pea stared in complete horror at Cheryl's face. "Are you gonna jump her?"

"Pantsuit, for sure. She's got a big enough dick--"

"Fogarty!" Toni yelled, pushing Cheryl's legs from her lap so she could pounce on him and rain down punches to his shoulder.

"What?" he questioned between grunts of pain and laughter. "I'm just saying-- You'd fill it out. And it looks like Cheryl already knows all about that-- _Ow!_ "

The last one of Toni's knuckles grazed his chin as he curled inwardly to try to protect himself from tiny fists of fury. "Don't talk about her like that--" Toni cocked her arm back once again, Cheryl standing with an eye roll, ready to call her girlfriend off when a booming voice commanded everyone's attention.

"Tiny!" FP stepped onto the floor from the last step of the staircase. "What'd I tell you about horseplay in here?"

Cheryl Blossom was rarely ever intimidated by anyone, but she soon found herself sinking right back into the worn leather of the couch cushion she had just stood from as if she were the one being reprimanded by a father like figure.

Toni's cheeks flushed with color, dropping the lapel of Fang's leather jacket and standing up straight. "Sorry, sir. He _did_ deserve it though," Toni looked down at her friend and pushed his shoulder one more time, just for good measure.

"Don't doubt that he did," FP nodded with a chuckle. "So, what have you kids been up to? No more trouble since the last time I saw you?" The Serpent king looked around at the group of them, finally landing on the tallest of them. "Sweets?"

"No, sir. Just school and workin' on my bike-- Well, and keepin' these two in line," Sweet Pea smirked over his shoulder at Toni who was now sitting back next to Cheryl, earning him a glare from the smallest Serpent.

" _Ah_ , I see," FP nodded. "Well keep your heads down and your noses clean. Ghoulies been sniffin' 'round these parts the last few weeks. Keep it under control until we can hold a meeting, end of the month."

Toni, Sweets and Fangs nodded, a round of 'Yes sir' and 'Got it' from the group as he nodded back.

"Oh, and uh, Blossom," FP turned towards Cheryl, "I'm sure Toni has mentioned that I'd like a word with the two of you at some point."

Cheryl looked towards Toni, confusion written all over her face as her girlfriend's cheeks flushed again. The redhead cleared her throat, finding that Toni was suddenly rigid with silence, being of absolute no help in the situation. Turning back towards FP, head held high, feigning confidence although her stomach was churning with nerves, Cheryl answered back.

"On the contrary. She's made no mention of it."

FP smirked, taking in the pleading look on Toni's face. "Well, since you're already on the Southside, how about you two swing by for dinner? Say seven o'clock?"

The smallest Serpent still refused to look at her girlfriend, causing Cheryl to pinch Toni's thigh so the redhead could widen her eyes and raise her eyebrows, expectantly waiting for an answer. Toni looked over at her wordlessly, her expression clearly pained and embarrassed.

"Sounds lovely, Mr. Jones," Cheryl nudged Toni's ribs, having enough of her mute act.

" _Ughn-- Cheryl_ ," Toni muttered through grit teeth, reprimanding her girlfriend for being so rough. "Yeah, we'll be there."

"Great. See you then," FP chuckled with a smug grin.

* * *

"And what in Heaven's name was _that_ about, TT?" Cheryl snapped once they were in the car, away from the jeering boys still inside the Wyrm. They had both felt their cheeks flush at the way Fangs and Sweet Pea had made fun of how timid they both looked while FP demanded they meet for a long overdue discussion.

"What?" Toni dismissed, playing dumb.

"Oh, don't you get coy with me--" Cheryl raised an accusatory finger at the pink haired girl.

Toni simply rolled her eyes, sliding into the driver's seat of Cheryl's car. "He asked me to bring you around after the race, or whatever," she shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"And why on Earth would that be necessary, Antoinette?" Cheryl's voice was teetering on the verge of venom, ready to reprimand her girlfriend for spilling the truth about her injecting herself in Serpent matters by calling Sheriff Keller all those weeks ago.

"Babe, _stop!_ " Toni huffed, knowing Cheryl only used her full name when she was in trouble. "It's fine. He just wants to meet the person I'm getting serious with."

"Oh," Cheryl stated, leaning back in her seat and staring blankly through the windshield at nothing in particular. " _Oh_."

Toni looked over at the redhead, chuckling at how pale her girlfriend's face had become at the realization. "Cher, seriously, it's not that big of a deal."

"He's like your _father_ , TT," Cheryl whispered, suddenly feeling a whole new wave of anxiety wash over her. She'd never met a girlfriend's parents before. She'd never had a girlfriend, period. Suddenly all sorts of doubts and insecurities flooded Cheryl's mind, that although she was a top dog on the Northside and anyone who dared try to court her would have been shaking in their boots to meet either of her parents, she was in the exact same boat on the Southside. Her family name and her reputation surely preceded her, feeling nausea roll over her at the thought that FP would tell them that they wouldn't be allowed to be together anymore. That's probably why Toni hadn't mentioned it before, why her girlfriend was so content with just never mentioning that her father figure wanted to sit down with them.

"Baby--" Toni smiled softly, picking up Cheryl's hand and smoothing her thumb over the back of pale knuckles, practically reading Cheryl's thoughts swimming in her head. "FP's not like that. Of course he's protective of me, but he just wants me to be happy. We-- We weren't exactly in a super solid spot after the race, but he already knew how I felt about you. I didn't say anything because I wanted to give us time to figure everything out."

Cheryl took in Toni's words, still staring out in front of her with unfocused eyes. "We weren't in a solid spot," Cheryl mimicked Toni's words, as if she were on autopilot instead of wrapping her head around it all.

"Cheryl," Toni squeezed the Blossom's hand, trying not to laugh and be insensitive towards her spiraling other half. "Do you care about me?"

"Of course I do, TT! How could you ask me such a thing?"

Toni did laugh this time, pressing a kiss to the back of the redhead's hand. "Then that's all that matters. That's all he's going to want to know."

* * *

Toni had finally seemed to talk Cheryl down off the ledge, the color on Cheryl's face beginning to return instead of the shocked and pale cheeks she was sporting on the car ride over. The redhead confidently took Toni's hand in her own as they stepped up to FP's home. Slight nerves were tingling over the pair of them as they waited for an answer to the knock on the door, but overall they had settled back into the comfort of knowing that above all else, they still had each other to lean on, no matter which direction the conversation would go. Toni eased her thumb over Cheryl's knuckles again as they continued to wait, smiling gently at the warmth she found there. Until the door swung open and her thumb stopped dead in their tracks over Cheryl's middle knuckle.

"What are you doing here?" Toni all but growled, the smile fading from her lips.

"Um-- I _live_ here," Jughead snapped back incredulously. Scowling down at the girl's hands linked together by their sides.

"Well _obviously_ ," Toni bit back again, tensing as they all stood in awkward silence.

Cheryl shook their hands gently, and smoothed her thumb over Toni's hand this time, reassuring her that everything was going to be fine. "We're just here to see FP."

"Kitchen," Jughead pushed out reluctantly, stepping aside for them to come in.

Toni shielded Cheryl's body, stepping between her and the boy that seemed to loathe the pair of them, guiding them easily through the trailer that she knew like the back of her hand. She'd spent so much time there before all hell broke loose and Jughead could no longer contain his emotions towards Toni. She sighed wistfully, wishing in a way that things could just go back to normal-- Or at least normal _with_ Cheryl by her side.

"Oh, good-- You're here." FP smiled, finished setting the small dining table with four place settings. Toni eyed it carefully, biting her tongue until she finally dropped Cheryl's hand and spoke up.

"Need any help?"

FP noticed the apprehensiveness in Toni's voice, humming and shaking his head as her eyes trailed over the table. "Nope, just go ahead and have a seat. Jug will be joining us, on my request. Hope that'll be okay."

"Of course, Mr. Jones. This is your home and we're just delighted to be able to join you," Cheryl tugged on Toni's arm, pulling out a wobbly chair for her girlfriend to take a seat. She clenched her jaw and sent a pointed look towards the Serpent. 'Sit. _Down_.' Cheryl mouthed to her girlfriend, shaking her head once to signal to her to cut it out before it had the chance to begin.

Toni reluctantly sat and crossed her arms over her chest like a child, Cheryl taking the seat next to her and whispering viciously in her ear, " _Enough_. Quit pouting."

Toni rolled her eyes but uncrossed her arms nonetheless. She took a deep breath and pulled on a fake smile as Jughead pulled up his own seat, FP setting the food down on the table. It was a modest spread, just some meatloaf, green beans and mashed potatoes, but Cheryl smiled at the homeyness of it all. She hadn't had a true home cooked meal since the Blossom family was still a foursome, before losing Jason and her father. Family dinners were most always prepared by the help Penelope had hired, so even then, as they sat in silence, they never really felt as cozy as this.

Forks scraped against plates, the quiet mumblings lost in mouthfuls of food. They were only about halfway through when Cheryl couldn't take the quiet anymore, the four of them dangerously resembling the eery silence of a Blossom dinner. "This is lovely, Mr. Jones. Thank you."

FP grinned up from his plate, waving a hand at the girl "Call me FP."

"Well, _FP_. It was very gracious of you to open your home to us."

" _Pfft_. It's not like this is Toni's first time," Jughead mumbled, shoving more green beans into his mouth. "She _used_ to be welcome here any time."

"Jug--" FP commanded. "You're welcome here any time you need, Toni."

Toni cleared her throat uncomfortably, looking down at her plate and pushing some food around in a circle.

"So, Cheryl. I hear that you've been spending quite some time with Toni and the boys here on the Southside."

Cheryl looked up silently at FP and nodded, waiting to see where he was really directing his inquisition.

"Didn't have you pegged as someone who would necessarily fit in with our folk," the oldest Serpent prodded.

The redhead finished chewing her small bite of food and nodded again. "I'll be the first to admit, it was a bit out of my wheelhouse, but Sweet Pea and Fangs have been nothing but kind and accepting towards me, despite my reputation."

"Proud of those boys. Like my sons, the lot of them. And Toni, she's like a daughter to me. So as you've mentioned your reputation, I guess what I'm trying to gauge here is that I'm leaving her in good hands. What exactly are your intentions with her?"

"Oh my God, _FP_ ," Toni blushed furiously, feeling like this was exactly what Cheryl was afraid of. A father testing the new love interest in his daughter's life.

"TT, it's fine," Cheryl blushed, placing a gentle hand to Toni's wrist. "I again, need to admit that we haven't always the smoothest path, but I honestly would do anything to make sure she is safe, protected and happy," Cheryl replied surely, offering a timid smile towards her girlfriend who was grinning ear to ear at her mashed potatoes. "I intend to care for her in all the ways she's cared for me."

"And Toni? I see you two have hit it off quite nicely," FP grinned, scratching at his collarbone as he turned to look at the female Serpent.

Heat flushed over Toni's face, her hand immediately coming up to tug her jacket over her own collarbone still dawning fresh love bites from Cheryl the night before, dipping her head in embarrassment. "Uh--" she started uncomfortably. "Didn't start that way, but um-- Yeah."

Jughead scoffed in his seat, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. You fucked her before you even knew her name."

"Jughead!" FP boomed at the same time that Cheryl snapped back as well.

"That is _wildly_ inappropriate!"

Toni stood abruptly, scraping the wooden legs of her chair against the linoleum as she slammed her hands down roughly on the cheap dining table. "That's none of your business, Jug--" she growled through grit teeth.

"That's _enough!_ Toni-- Sit down!"

Toni sank back into her seat, obeying FP's verbal law, still clenching her teeth at Jughead, who seemed hellbent on not being affected by the glower of his father, scraping the teeth of his fork noisily around his plate.

"And _you_ \--" FP growled, looking like he might reach clear across the table and take his own son by the throat. Instead he pointed his fork at the boy with so much rage, Cheryl thought he might bend the metal altogether. "You don't speak to women that way. _Ever_. I brought you here to make things right after the way you treated her, your own clan. But you clearly still have a long way to go. Get out of here."

"This is _my_ house!" Jughead slammed his fork down, glaring back at his father.

"Boy!" FP warned, his voice raising.

Jughead pushed away from the table and stormed toward the front door, ripping his Serpent jacket off of the hook and slamming the front door behind him, leaving Cheryl and Toni to stare down at their half empty plates as FP ran a hand through his hair.

"I apologize, girls. That boy has it coming, I can assure you of that--"

"It's not your fault," Toni shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

Cheryl picked at her food a little more, before resigning that she'd lost her appetite, waiting patiently for the red coloring on FP's face to return to normal before they resumed any further conversation. Eventually he finished, picking up his plate and holding a hand out for Toni's, scraping the remnants into the trash can. Cheryl stood, shaking her head when FP reached out to take her plate from her.

"I can do it," the Blossom replied timidly, mimicking FP's actions before running the water and beginning to wash their dishes.

Toni just smiled and nodded, FP looking back over his shoulder at the girl. "Yeah, not what you expected, is it?"

"You did good kid," FP clapping a hand to Toni's shoulder.

The three of them sat scattered in the living room, the sound of the tv idle under their light conversation. Cheryl had spoken candidly of how Toni had single-handedly shaped her view of the Serpents, Toni interjecting and giving Cheryl all the credit for being willing to grow and be bold enough to step out from under her family name. It had become rather clear to FP with his own eyes that the girls cared deeply for each other and that there was in fact no foreseeable conflict in giving his blessing to both of them to thrive in their new relationship.

"You take care of each other, okay?" FP requested as he placed a gentle hand on Cheryl's shoulder, bidding her goodnight as she stepped out to get into the passenger side of her car.

"Toni--" FP halted the Serpent's stride before she could get in behind the wheel of the car. "A word?"

She paced back towards her fatherlike figure and looked up at the taller man. "Yeah?"

"You love her?"

Toni blushed, gaze cast towards the ground as she dug the toe of her boot into the gravel. "Yeah," she answered honestly.

"She love you back?" FP prodded.

"I dunno," Toni mumbled, kicking at some rocks. "I mean, I haven't told her yet, and she's-- She's had it rough. We just made it official, and I don't wanna rush her or pressure her. I'll tell her-- Eventually."

"Then you do what it takes to protect her. If she means that much to you, then you know deep down that she's gonna get sucked into this world. It could get dangerous for her-- When the Ghoulies find out she's not one of us. We'll make sure the boys know to keep an eye out as well."

"I will. Always." Toni nodded, turning back towards the car.

"Hey-- I meant what I said earlier, Tiny. You're always welcome here. He'll come around, eventually. But in the mean time, don't ever let that stop you from coming to me if you need it. Y'hear?"

Toni nodded, falling into his open arms to give him a hug. "Thank you," she whispered with eyes closed. "For everything."

* * *

The rest of the month went by quickly, Cheryl finding a whole new reason to hold her head even higher as her hand was clutched in Toni's. Jughead and Archie seemed to leave them alone once it was made clear that nothing was going to deter them from being Riverdale's newest power couple. Even Veronica had steered clear of them, making herself scarce on the days they'd forgo sitting with the Serpent's and keeping her mouth shut tightly when she was around. FP had given them his blessing and all was back to normally scheduled programming for the girls. Weekends were mostly reserved for the two of them to catch up and spend quality time with each other, until Serpent business started to pick up as the Ghoulies encroached on them slowly, week by week. Date night was always on Wednesday, non-negotiable, now that midterms were quickly approaching and Toni often times had to disappear for Serpent meetings and scouting, digging into their after school and weekend time. Cheryl had kept herself occupied, knowing that she chose this life with Toni, and she was going to be supportive of everything that she did, whether or not she always tossed and turned in their bed until her girlfriend returned unscathed or with a few new minor bruises.

Besides, they still _always_ had Wednesdays.

Cheryl's stomach rumbled as she crossed her legs and slumped back against the cushion of the chair she was sitting in. The Blossom had already been home alone for hours, Wednesday being their short day at school while her girlfriend hurried off towards the Southside to pick up an extra shift at the Wyrm. Toni had barely made it through the front door before Cheryl had barked at her to hurry up. She huffed impatiently, darting daggers at her girlfriend's back as she walked into her closet to change.

" _Quickly_ , TT. I'm absolutely famished," the redhead snapped, her hunger getting the better of her.

"Oh my God, Cheryl! I heard you the first time," Toni huffed back at her impatient girlfriend. She stepped through the threshold of the walk-in closet mumbling something else under her breath.

" _Excuse_ me?" Cheryl's high pitched voice called after her.

"I _said_ \--" Toni popped her head out of the closet to glare at the redhead. "I'd threaten to choke you, but you'd probably like that," the Serpent deadpanned to which Cheryl pondered for a second, then simply shrugged and nodded nonchalantly. Toni rolled her eyes and resumed pushing her jeans down her legs.  
Cheryl knew that her girlfriend hadn't kept her waiting purposely, having just gotten home from her shift at the Wyrm, even leaving an hour early to be able to make date night, but she still couldn't help feeling a little disgruntled that she was starving and missing spending quality time with her girlfriend equally. She picked up Toni's phone and entered the passcode, her phone too far away to bother getting up and crossing the room to get it. She mindlessly opened the Instagram app and scrolled through the pink haired girl's timeline. Her freshly manicured red nails clicked against the screen, liking a few landscape pictures from some photography accounts Toni followed. Hearing her stomach growl again, Cheryl groaned and tossed Toni's phone back onto the bed in front of her. The light from her walk-in closet shut off and Cheryl peeked up, seeing Toni step into the light of her bedroom. The redhead's breath got stuck in her throat and her heart nearly stopped.

"I've been waiting for you for so long," Cheryl whispered, intensely locking eyes with her girlfriend.

"Cher, I literally took ten minutes to get ready," Toni scoffed incredulously at her impatient girlfriend.

Toni shrugged her Serpent jacket onto her shoulders with an exasperated huff and reached out to the edge of the bed where Cheryl had tossed her phone after getting bored perusing Instagram. The bubblegum haired girl looked up from her phone reading that she was in fact correct, she'd only taken roughly ten minutes to get ready. As she looked up at the Blossom, she observed cautiously that Cheryl sat still, staring at Toni with a look on her face that the Serpent just couldn't place. Toni started to feel uncomfortably aware that her girlfriend was still without a reply, shifting her weight from her right leg to her left nervously. Toni opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly, not wanting to say the wrong thing and further agitate her testy girlfriend. Toni wasn't completely sure what to make of the look on Cheryl's face, feeling something familiar, but not being able to read if she was now being so calm because she was about to completely fly off the handle, or if it was something else completely.

Cheryl stood smoothly, slowly taking a step towards the Serpent. Toni winced slightly and braced herself for a verbal lashing from the girl. They both knew that they were still working through the passion between them, sometimes having to deal with an occasional outburst because their feelings burned so strongly within them to the point where they'd boil over and let it all out all at once. The Serpent opened her eyes fully again, feeling Cheryl take her hand gently instead of hearing a quick witted jab at how much of an inconvenience it was to be eating so late. The redhead's voice was soft when she spoke again.

" _No_ , baby," Cheryl shook her head gently as she stepped in to close the gap between she and Toni's body. One pale hand tucked underneath the worn leather jacket and smoothed over Toni's side, gripping the girl and pulling her flush against her own body. "I've been waiting for _you_ for so long."

Toni still wasn't completely following, but the way the redhead was holding her so gently, yet looking at her so intensely, like she was drinking in her entire soul, was telling the Serpent that she had nothing to be afraid of; That she was safer than she had ever been in her entire life. Nothing in particular was different about her than any other day she had ever shared with Cheryl, dressed in her same old attire, makeup fading after a long day, but her girlfriend was looking at her with brand new eyes. Seeing Toni walk out of her closet, so similarly to the many times she had before, the redhead felt a jolt inside of her that was different this time than ever before. Something inside her just _clicked_ and the redhead just _knew_ , something was different.

Cheryl's free hand came to cup Toni's cheek, her breath warm against Toni's lips. "Toni, you bend over backwards for me-- For us. You're always so patient and so supportive, even when I lack the same virtues. I've never felt I was worthy of anything. I walked around trying to convince everyone else I was worth something by being cold and aggressive, hoping that it would make me feel like I could grow into being someone important. But when you came into my life, I didn't have to do or say anything to try and be something or someone I don't want to be. You being here, in my life, it allowed me to feel safe enough to accept who I am and to really know myself. I know I'm worthy because you challenged me and gave me the room to grow. You've pushed me to learn new things about myself and you've been here for me while I learned how to be here for someone other than myself. _You_ are my safe space-- _You're_ my home. I've been waiting for that-- All my life."

Toni took in the way Cheryl's gorgeous brown eyes were glossing over with tears threatening to fall, reaching up to gently smooth her thumb over the Blossom's pale cheek.

"Babe," Toni exhaled shakily, emotion in her voice at Cheryl's confession.

Cheryl shook her head gently, signaling she wasn't done.

"Toni," the redhead whispered, her hands gripping at Toni's waist a little tighter. "I _love_ you."

Cheryl Blossom didn't know what love was capable of, until the love of her life waltzed in and changed the way she saw the world, herself included. She'd felt the creep of it in her chest for a long time, unable to distinguish what exactly it could mean, until like a light switch it was undeniable no more.

The Serpent's eyes clouded with tears, her jaw slightly hinged open. She was the one that was supposed to say it first. She was the one who wanted Cheryl to feel safe enough, _wanted_ enough, to believe it. Toni had been burying those words deep, trying to show Cheryl every single day what love was truly supposed to mean, and that it wouldn't go anywhere when things got tough. But as Toni was spending all of her time trying to find a way to say it out loud, Cheryl had been the one who was unafraid and unapologetic. Letting an everyday, simple gesture be the reason she felt it was time. They didn't need a grand gesture, Lord knows they'd had enough dramatics already, but a peace that could only be found in their loving moments together, quiet and unmoving as the dangerous world moved around them. It was perfect, and it was genuine. A true reflection of _them_.

"Baby," Toni whispered, wrapping her hand around to the nape of her girlfriend's neck and into Cheryl's hair, pulling her gently in for a kiss. Toni poured all of her love into that kiss, showing Cheryl that they were in this together. She smiled as their lips slowed, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks as she pulled away, just far enough to whisper against Cheryl's lips.

"I love you too, Cheryl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Debating on whether or not to spend a few more chapters in this timeline before escalating to the future and wrapping this one up, or to carry out it out til the end.
> 
> What do you think? 
> 
> Spin off of I'd Love, new fic/ drabbles, or finish 'er out?


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